


The Oncoming Storm

by evalentine99



Series: Broken Dreams [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: Action/Adventure, M/M, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2015-08-08
Packaged: 2018-04-13 14:51:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 52,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4526259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evalentine99/pseuds/evalentine99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>14 years have passed and Jack and Ianto struggle with teen angst and rebellion.  Can they keep Sean safe during the oncoming storm as the prophecy and portents foretold now begin to take shape?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One Sean

**Author's Note:**

> This story is the sequel to Broken Dreams. It is set in an alternate universe to the cannon universe. Ianto never worked for Torchwood Three and owns a book shop. It is 14 years since Sean was born.

Part One – Sean.

Sean sat crossed legged on his bed and balancing his laptop across his knees he turned it on. He watched it go through its start-up procedure which, in his anticipation, appeared it was deliberately going slow. His thumb rapped on the side of the keyboard as he tried to contain his excitement.

He thought he had emailed every agency in the UK all leading to nothing, but two weeks ago he had found another. He had filled in all the forms and immediately requested help. At the same time he had also updated several message boards where you could leave requests for information. He hoped that someone reading might know something and point him in the right direction. Maybe today there would be a message for him, maybe today he would finally be on the road to finding the answer he so desperately needed know and be able to put a name and face to…

His breath caught in his throat; he had a reply. His heart beat wildly in anticipation as he opened and read the reply. He lent back and his head hit the wall as he reached another dead end. He felt like throwing the laptop against the wall as disappointment grew in his chest.

He startled as he heard the front door slam and he heard his dad start shouting.

"Where is he?" Jack demanded with a bellow as he came through the front door and slammed it shut with such force it rattled the glass panes.

Ianto appeared from the kitchen, a tea towel over his shoulder. His eyes widened as he took in the state Jack was in. Ianto took a step back and placed his hand over his mouth as the slimy brown, green, and yellow substance liberally covered Jack's coat filled the room with an overpowering stench and pointed up the stairs.

"Sean you get down here right NOW!" Jack put his foot on the first step.

Sean heard the door slam open and his Dad's words. He tried to think what he was in trouble for now. A sudden sinking feeling hit his stomach and he swallowed. There was only one thing that could bring Dad home in a fury like this. He had set it up weeks ago but he figured that the explosive must have failed or something …shit he was really for it.

He snapped his computer shut and pulled out the stick drive. Launching himself off the bed he opened his bedroom cupboard. Reaching back he pulled out a wad of cash, and stuffed it into his jeans' pocket.

He pulled down another small box and emptied the contents into his backpack. His eyes widened as he heard his Dad thundering up the stairs. With speed born of terror he zipped up the bag. Opening the window he climbed out onto the conservatory roof that edged just under his bedroom.

He was three steps onto the roof when heard his bedroom door crash open and his Dad growl with frustration. The bag handle in Sean's mouth, he kept his balance by holding his arms out to his sides. Sean made his across the top of the conservatory making sure he placed each foot on the struts ensuring he didn't put his weight on the glass panels. Coming to the downpipe he swung round and slid down. He landed on his feet, his heart racing. He looked ahead trying to gauge if he had enough time to make it over the fence before his Dad could catch up.

A sharp pain in his upper arm got his attention.

"And where do you think you're going?" Sean looked up and saw it was Tad. Sean put his head down as a firm grip on both his shoulders turned him around and marched him back inside.

Jack pushed his face into Sean's, and spoke through clenched teeth. "First you are going to apologise to Tosh, Alex and Penny, then you are going to listen to how angry they are. Then you are going to clean up, followed by escorting me through the entire Hub and pointing out any other nasty surprises you set up."

"Whatever," Sean found himself replying as he crossed his arms and looked defiant.

Jack stabbed his finger into Sean's face. "I've had enough of your attitude young man. Now get in the car," Jack added forcefully.

"I'll lock up," Ianto said tiredly as Jack marched Sean to the badly parked SUV and opened the back car door.

Sitting in the back seat Sean squirmed as Jack got in the driver's side and slammed the door shut. The odour of the coat now began to fill the vehicle. He caught a nose-full of the substance coating his dad. Sean could smell it had really matured.

"Is Auntie Tosh okay?" Sean asked hesitantly as he rolled down the window.

"You mean is the nice person who gave you a fifty pound iPod voucher for your birthday okay?" Jack retorted as he pulled his seatbelt and snapped it into place.

Sean squirmed. He had never meant for this to happen to Tosh. In truth he had forgotten all about it. He had been so angry that he had been forced to clean the lower levels of the Hub he had come up with a way to pay his Dad back not anyone else.

Tad got in the car and threw a look at him and Sean knew the 'I'm so disappointed in you speech,' would be coming up later so he crossed his arms and pouted and tried to pretend he didn't care.

"Seatbelt," Ianto ordered.

"I'm not a baby," Sean retorted and threw a filthy look at his Tad.

"Then put your seatbelt on. If you did, I wouldn't have to remind you every time we got in," Ianto replied and Sean pulled the seatbelt over but didn't click it into its holder.

"School rang, wants us to go down and have a meeting," Ianto said as they drove through the streets towards the Plass.

"What!" Jack burst out. "Do you have any idea how difficult it was to get you into that school?"

"The math teacher said Sean swore at her in class…again," Ianto explained on an outward breath, shaking his head.

"Sean!" Jack said as his jaw clenched.

"She was wrong," Sean replied defensively.

"How can she be wrong?" Ianto snapped.

"We had this test; she said I had failed because I just put the answer."

"And that's why you swore at her," Ianto replied exasperated.

"She said I had cheated."

Jack and Ianto both looked at each other. "Why did she think you had cheated?" Ianto asked in a tone that suggested he was weary of the ongoing battles Sean kept having with certain teachers.

"I already explained. I just put the answer next to the question, because I had worked it out in my head. She said if she couldn't work it out in her head I couldn't have, so I must have cheated."

"Would it have hurt to just write down how you came to the conclusion? She's trying to see how you worked it out. How something is worked out is just as important as…" Ianto tried to explain rubbing his forehead.

"Boring...it's just squiggles," Sean interjected.

Ianto let out a breath. "We'll talk about that later. Right now you need to do some serious apologising." Ianto put his arm on Jack's arm who he could sense was just holding it together.

"I am seriously disappointed Sean. This was no prank; you could have been seriously hurt, we have been seriously hurt, not only that this is a trust issue. I thought I could trust you to …" Jack started to speak.

His head down, Sean listened and it felt like his life was over. He felt his face began to heat up and his stomach turned over. Tosh, he didn't want to face Tosh …of all the people there why did it have to be Tosh? She was so nice; always helping him out. He felt a wave of guilt. He knew what was coming, he would be forced to apologise, and he could see her now...the look on her face, her arms crossed… Tad had the look; he would have to face that horrible hated her 'stupid fat cow' and why had no-one replied to his emails someone somewhere must know something…' He felt disappointment and trepidation churn in his stomach. He looked up and saw the SUV had stopped at a traffic light. In one instant all the thoughts came whirling into focus and he felt an overwhelming desire to escape. Without thinking he put his hand into his backpack, pulling out a small, flat blue egg-like device that just fitted in the palm of his hand. In a series of fluid movements he had waved the device over the locking mechanism. He heard a click and pushed opened the door. He seemed to find himself standing and he felt himself start to run.

Ianto heard the door open. He struggled to get out of his seatbelt but by the time he had opened the door Sean was at the far end of the street on Jack's side.

"Sean!" Ianto shouted at his son's retreating back.

"Sean, you get back here!" Jack shouted through the open window and slammed his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.

The driver in the vehicle behind began to sound their horn and Ianto got back in. Jack, his lips pursed, put the car into gear and drove off.

Sean pounded down the road and around the corner, ducking between a gap in a fence, through a car park and into another road until he was out of breath, a stitch pulling at his side. Sean glanced back and felt a moment of utter triumph. The look on his Dad's faces...he had done it! Leaning back against a wall he stood for a while catching his breath as a niggle of doubt in the back of his mind began to take over and he swallowed.

He tried to silence the voice but he knew he had made things worse and now they would be even more angry if that was possible. He went back over the moment in the car; all he could think of was getting away. He had acted without thinking, and he felt sick. He hesitated. Should he go back? He made a move but then the vision of facing Tosh along with Alex and Penny and having to say he was sorry, with Dad and Tad standing their arms crossed glaring at him, let alone having to clean up came into his mind and his eyes opened wide as he recalled the other part of all this. Part two of revenge would have activated when the bomb went off; she would be…. No he was not going back to face that, no way.

Once he had caught his breath he looked around and pulled out a red mobile from his bag and flipped it open. "Chas, can we meet at the warehouse? Yeah...usual place?" he said when he heard a reply.

"Where is he?" Penny and Tosh both demanded looking behind Jack as he entered the Hub by the main door.

Myfanwy, peering down saw the object of her quest. She spread her wings and launched herself from her roost clacking her beak in delight.

She swooped low then canted along the wall, skimming their heads and causing them to duck. "Fuckarse, fuckarse, FUCKAAAAAAAAAAAAARSE," reverberated in their ears, filling the space and echoing off the walls. The sight and sound of Myfanwy was the final straw for Jack. He snathed the nearest thing to hand - a mug in Alex's hand - and lobbed it after her. It flew in a wide arc and landed across the far side of the Hub shattering as it hit the ground.

"Can't you stop her doing that?" Jack screamed at Alex.

"If I could figure out how he taught her in the first place, I would," Alex shouted back as they looked up to see Myfanwy had returned to her roost, clacked her beak with satisfaction, gave a final squawk and began to preen herself.

Tosh, her eyes wide with anger, pointed a finger at Jack. "Ruined, my clothes are ruined," she spluttered, rage slurring her words. "I stink. Some got in my mouth….twenty minutes of cleaning my teeth and mouthwash I still can't get rid of the taste. A whole bottle of shampoo and still my hair reeks of Weevil shit." She narrowed her eyes. "And don't you dare suggest Alex clean up that mess."

"Sean is going to clean it up…" Jack stated to say.

"Damn right," Penny yelled. "The small amount that missed us is splattered ceiling to floor."

"Where is he?" Alex asked seeing that Sean was not present.

"We were bringing him here, but he ran off while we were at a light. Ianto is looking for him right now." Penny and Tosh glared at him.

Jack looked highly embarrassed.

"You had better Jack because I have a few things to say to him," Penny said then stormed out. Tosh grabbed her handbag and followed.

Heading to his office Jack took off his coat and handed it to Alex. Alex took the coat between thumb and forefinger and grimaced. Lucky for Jack the majority of the contents had hit his coat, unlike Tosh who had received almost the entire bulk of the foul-smelling liquid. That said Jack's coat was a mess, the smell was overpowering.

"Shall I bin this or send it to the dry cleaners?" Alex asked as Jack sat down and put his head in his hands.

Alex had experienced this many times over the past year. It was frustration, and anger mixed with confusion, like many parents having a teenager who was testing every ounce of patience his fathers had. Jack and Ianto had been wonderful fathers, exemplary even. Sean had lacked for nothing, especially attention. They had lavished care on him. To them his behaviour was bewildering.

He understood how they felt. One moment they had a child who wouldn't cross the road without their permission; and seemingly overnight they had a gangly adolescent who was all elbows, knees and Adam's apple seemingly fighting them at every turn. Alex understood, he had had teenagers of his own. However neither of his had been quite as rebellious as Sean. It was like some switch had flipped just after his thirteenth birthday and he had gotten himself into some serious trouble.

"Coat?"

"Bin it…" Jack looked up at Alex who was holding the coat at arm's length. "No...dry cleaners," Jack said with a sigh.

"They might charge extra for this one," Alex pointed out. "Myfanwy?" Alex placed Jack's coat into a large bin liner.

"Once Ianto has found Sean he will bring him here. You, Tosh and Penny can unleash your fury and tell him exactly what you think. I will then march him around the Hub and get him to show me any other surprises he has set up. Then he will tell and show me how reverse what he did with Myfanwy," Jack said wearily.

"Jack, can I say something? Not as your Hub manager but from one father to another."

Jack looked up.

"Teenagers are difficult, I've had two. He's not a bad kid, and you are not bad fathers."

"I wish I could understand what was happening for him," Jack said wearily." Ianto and I both expected... he's a teenager but the last months…I mean he has gotten into some serious trouble, and not just shoplifting the odd sweet. He stole a car."

"Being a parent of a teenager is the hardest part of parenthood, no parent comes out unscathed. You just have to remember that under all that defiance and behaviour is a child who has only just turned fourteen, his hormones are all over the place, his emotions are up and down."

"He won't talk to us beyond a grunt. It's like we've become the enemy, and everything about us is hugely embarrassing. Last week he made sure he walked behind us, just to make sure no-one knew we weren't his dads." Jack took a deep breath.

"I know. I think that for me was the hardest," Alex agreed. "My daughter Felicity was so embarrassed by her mother and me she would only join us at the movies once the lights had gone down. Then she would leave as the film ended so no-one could see that she was with us." He let out sigh.

"He's so angry all the time. Just getting him to do the smallest chore is like we're asking him to move the Earth three feet to the left..." he saw the look on Alex's face, who was stifling a small smile.

"Jack I can tell you with no lie, I am so glad I don't have teenagers. The only thing you can do is give him good clear boundaries, make him face the consequences of his actions." Alex looked uncomfortable. "Now I need to speak to you as Hub manager."

"I will make him clean this up," Jack told him. "And apologise for what he did then get him to reverse what he did to Myfanwy."

"As of today I am banning him from any access to the lower levels," Alex told him bluntly. "Sean is to have no access to any Hub systems and he is to be escorted while he is here. The only good thing is Rosemary is away on holiday. God knows what she would think if she found her Archives in such a mess." He saw Jack pale at the thought of Rosemary's reaction to being covered in the contents of today's disaster.

"After you left I thought I had better take an inventory of the artefact Archives. Sean would have had the most potential access and I found these missing." He handed a sheet of paper to Jack. "We know what happened to the small proximity explosive device," Alex pointed out.

"Ianto and I will search the house when we find him and are finished here," Jack agreed.

Alex put his hand on Jack shoulder as he continued. "You need to get this one back as soon as we can. It's potentially very dangerous. It's an alien emergency distress flare. He most probably took it because it looks like a firework, a roman candle. If he sets it off at your home it will burn the place to the ground. The other is a sort of universal key that opens anything." Jack blinked in realisation. That was how Sean had managed to open the car door.

"Now I suggest you go and clean up because sir, you smell and I will get you some coffee," Alex added kindly.

Alex watched as Jack headed across the Hub floor towards the showers. Half way across the Hub Myfanwy launched herself and cried out her greeting of profanity. Alex looked up as she circled. He had to admit, as much trouble as Sean was the boy was a genius. No one else had managed to train Myfanwy beyond the most basic commands but somehow he had managed to set up a trigger and get her to launch herself and swear obscenities but only when Jack made an appearance. He was interested to hear his explanation of how he had managed to achieve this. Alex stifled a smile. 'It was brilliant no doubt about it,' he said to himself as Myfanwy settled back into her nest.


	2. Chapter 2

Squeezing his way through the gap between the tall chain-link fence and the chained gate Sean made his way across the deserted car park. He kicked at the weeds growing through the cracks in the tarmac then jumped on each crack seeing if he could reach the next. In short hops, skips and jumps he reached the tall side of the warehouse and swung up the board hanging down covering a smashed window. With the ease that only comes with youth he climbed in and found himself by a staircase. Reaching the first floor he moved through the deserted corridor until he saw Chas coming out one of the doorways of an abandoned office. Chas broke into a smile and beckoned him on with a flick of his head.

Chas pulled him into the room and closed the door then handed him a can of cider. "Brilliant," Sean said as he broke into a huge wide grin reminiscent of his Dad. Sean flopped down onto a piled-up heap of rags, pulled off the tab, and took a long drink. Chas joined him and leaned in so their shoulders were touching. As they settled Sean placed an arm around Chas and handed him the can.

"So it worked?" Chas asked taking a long drink then belching.

"He was covered," Sean said. Chas handed him back the can and Sean took a long drink then belched himself.

"Completely covered?"

Sean nodded and handed the can back to Chas. "It was green, brown and yellow. And it stank! I thought I was going to throw up it was so bad."

"Now what?" Chas asked

"Stay here for a bit I suppose." Sean took the can back.

Chas looked at his watch. "I promised Mum I would be home by six. Are you going home?"

"I don't know what to do. I feel really bad about this. It got Auntie Tosh, that's kind of why I took off. She's always been nice and now she's going to hate me too." Sean stopped for a moment and took another drink from the can. "Maybe I should just take off…go to London; start looking there," Sean said thinking out loud.

Chas looked at him concerned. "London...looking for what?"

Sean realised he had said too much.

"No tell me," Chas said encouragingly.

"You know I was adopted. Well I think I am, they've never said, or maybe one of them is my dad. I don't know which one. I asked but they always say they've both my dads but I know that's impossible. So I got to thinking, maybe neither of them is. I've been trying to find out who my mum is. What did she look like?" He let out a long breath. "I just want to know why she didn't want me."

"Well you do look a bit like your Tad." Chas ran his finger gently down Sean's nose. "So maybe..."

"I don't know. Everyone says I've got my Dad's smile as well, so maybe he's my Dad. Maybe neither. I sent all these emails off leaving messages on various message boards with all my details for her but she hasn't replied… so she really must really hate me or maybe there's something wrong with me that made her not want me and that's why she won't answer. I just want to know."

"Why London?"

"Everyone says London is the place to be. I know Tad used to work in London so maybe that's where…"

"Have you looked at your birth certificate?" Chas interrupted.

"It says Tad's name and my real birth mother's name, Jacqueline Hammersmith, but when I went to the records there was nothing there. I mean nothing. It's like she never existed."

"Why don't you just ask them?"

"Why would they tell me the truth if there's this big secret about me or if there is something wrong with me?" They heard a crash in the distance and it caught their attention for a moment then they ignored it. It was not unusual to hear bangs and crashes. Being near the local housing estate the warehouse was a magnet where a lot young people hung out. It was filled with a labyrinth of corridors and offices, storerooms filled mostly with rubbish. Others they knew like to hang about in what was known as the 'big place'. The big place had a huge high ceiling. It was a cavern of a room filled with barrels, old equipment, and bales of old rags of some kind. The room had a grand echo and some kids had set up a crude skateboard course using the ramps and some old planks.

"Don't go to London," Chas said taking Sean's hand. "I don't want you to go. I would miss you and I would worry about you."

"I'm in so much trouble. They hate me, maybe they'd be glad I took off," Sean said as a crash sounded closer this time. The noise stilled their conversation as they listened. They looked at each other as they heard angry voices.

"I don't want you to…" Chas stopped as the voices appeared to be getting nearer and was followed by doors being kicked in and more shouting.

Chas widened in fear as the sound of one voice in particular caught his attention. "We have got to get out of here." Chas scrambled to his feet.

"What?" Sean saw Chas looked terrified.

He reached down and pulled Sean to his feet. "We have to move now," Chas shouted, his voice trembling with fear. He reached out for the handle to find it smashed out of his hand as the door crashed into wall causing him to jump back.

"What are you doing in here?" A heavy-set youth grabbed him, the tone of his voice indicating he thought he knew exactly what was going on. The boy was about to say more when he was joined by two more equally rough-looking youths who appeared to be around eighteen years old.

"Just talking," Sean snapped back in a high-pitched voice, shaking his head.

"Talking," Chas stated simultaneously with Sean.

"That's not what this place is used for and you know it," the boy said with a sneer. Another youth moved forward and pushed Sean up against the wall.

Another boy picked up the can and sniffed it then tipped it on end to drain the last few dregs.

"I don't see no girls so that makes you a couple of gay-boys," the youth holding Chas said through his teeth.

"We come here to hang out after school…" Sean tried to explain stammering out the words.

"We know what this place is; it's a hangout for queers. I don't see no girls, so he must be your boyfriend," the one holding Sean spat at Chas who was being shaken by the youth holding him.

"We, we're just friends," Sean struggled to say and the three boys burst out laughing.

"Yeah that's what the last pair we caught said."

"Don't hurt us, we're just friends," the leader whined as he smashed his hand into his fist so there was no mistaking the words. Sean swallowed nervously at the hated reflected in their eyes.

"Please don't hurt us," the boy holding Chas continued in a high-pitched falsetto.

"And he was such a pretty boy," the youth at the back added and all three burst into laughter.

"Faggot," the boy holding Sean spat in his face. Sean turned his face away but the gob of spit hit his cheek.

"And do you know what we do with queers?" the one holding Chas said. His eyes widened as he recognised the boy he was shaking.

"I know you. You live on the estate, never took you for one of them." He turned to the others. "Got a nice sister. I want to really do her," he sneered.

Sean glanced at Chas who was staring ahead, too terrified to move or speak.

"And I know you too." The leader now turned his attention to Sean. "Fucking faggot fathers, and they've turned you queer." The other boys joined in shouting obscenities.

"You leave my dads out of this," Sean shouted at them as the boy in the corridor now moved fully into the room and snatched Sean's bag from his hands. He laughed as he saw Sean flinch. Sean's lower lip began to quiver uncontrollably.

Opening the bag the youth reached in and snatched out a rolled up wad of notes. "Well, well." Everyone watched as he counted it out slowly.

"There's two hundred and fifty pounds here." He pushed his face into Sean's. "Are you renting out by the hour? Is that why you're here? Or are you pimping him out?" He turned his head at Chas and spat between them.

"New meat; is that why you're hanging about here?" The leader glanced between Sean and Chas then pocketed the money.

"Let see what else is in here." The leaders reached into Sean's backpack and pulled out what looked like a long thick tube around nine inches long with strange writing on it.

"Look at this," he showed it to the boy holding Chas. He pushed Chas violently towards Sean, who stumbled. The second youth caught Chas then slammed him into the wall, knocking his breath out. The youth holding Sean let go and punched him in savagely in the stomach and he fell on his knees, coughing.

"What is it?" He shoved the long tube into Sean's face.

"Sort of firework," Sean stuttered the words out, his teeth clattering.

"Firework." A gleam grew in the eyes of the boy who had been holding Chas and he looked down at Sean and then back at Chas.

"Let's have some fun. Bring them," he jerked Sean to his feet then threw the bag back at him. Sean caught the bag and held it close to his body.

Manhandling Sean and Chas forward they reached the 'big place.' In its previous incarnation it had been some kind of manufacturing space. Its floor was greasy and black from oil. Blue plastic drums of some kind were piled three high. Close by there were a sizable number of large cardboard boxes; some still sealed, others with their contents spilling out. Most of the contents appeared to rags of some kind that had been pulled out and were strewn about.

"This looks like a good place," the biggest youth declared as they pulled Chas and Sean towards the barrels. "Now we're going to teach you a lesson you are never going to forget."

"Please let us go," Sean begged struggling against the youth who was holding him. "We won't tell anyone about this and you can keep the money."

"Stupid little fucker, what is it with gays that they think they can talk themselves out of shit?"

He indicated with his head and Sean and Chas were dragged closer to the drums. With effort the biggest boy kicked over one of the barrels. The lid remained firmly on so he gave it several more kicks and the lid flew off. The thick yellow contents started to glug out, and made its way slowly towards the two boys. "I'm going to scare you straight."

"Dead straight," the youth holding Sean hissed at him.

"Please, please we promise we will never see each other again, just let us go. I just want to go home. I want my mum." Chas broke down and started crying.

"Beg some more," the leader added.

"We promise anything, please, please just let us go, we just want to go home." Sean begged his voice shaking.

"Is that it?"

"Please, we just want to go home," Chas added between sobs.

They saw the leader smile. "I hate queers, going to nip you two in the bud." He pointed the firework at Chas and Sean. "First we're going to burn you." He could see the boys were visibly shaking and wondered if he could scare one or both so much they would wet themselves. He pointed at Chas. "Then I'm going to find your mother and take your sister. Once we've done with her we're going burn down your flat with them in it as punishment for breeding a faggot like you." He turned to Sean. "And then I'm going to find your house and wait till your fathers are fast asleep then me and the boys are going creep in, tie them up, pour petrol over them then burn them in their bed for turning you queer."

He watched the effect his words had on the boys, whose eyes were wide with terror then he burst into laughter. He pointed at them as the others joined him. Chas and Sean looked at other bewildered.

"Fuck, you really think we're going to burn you up don't you?" The boy closest to them was laughing so hard he was holding his knees as the others with joined in. Pushing Chas and Sean towards each other he went and stood next to the leader.

"I tell you what, I fancy some sport. Let's see how fast you can run. The last pair got to the car park. I set this off," he pointed the fire work towards them, "and you run. If we catch you, you will never have a queer thought in your head again." He pulled the tab at the top of the tube.

A few moments passed and nothing happened. The leader shook it and looked at the end. Without warning a painful, horrific ear-splitting, shrieking noise reverberated around the room, making the frame and the aluminium sides of the building begin to shake violently. Instinctively everyone covered their ears and the youth dropped the tube in shock. A blinding flash of light followed immediately as the tube now sent out a white-hot flame so powerful the force of it caused it to move. The heat from the flare was so hot the leader staggered back and held his arm across his face. In an instant the tube shot across the floor hitting the pile of discarded boxes which burst into flames.

Blinking to clear the spots before his eyes Sean took hold of Chas who was scared into immobility and started pushing him towards the door on the far right.

"Move," Sean shouted his heart racing as he pushed Chas in front of him.

It took one push for Chas to realise this was their only chance and started running, his whole being fighting not to break down. Their legs shaking they raced through the corridors in a screaming panic. Reaching the front of the building he looked at Chas, and saw he was white and his bottom lip visibly trembling.

"We have to get away, "Chas said his voice shaking and high-pitched as they ran through the car park. He glanced back and saw smoke begin to billow out from the warehouse.

Sean turned, and saw flames begin to flick out the top of the building. "Oh god," Sean said.

"What we going to do?" Chas gibbered.

"Keep running." Sean took a handful of Chas' jersey and pushed him through the gap in the fence.

"They're going to find us," Chas said. Sean looked desperately about. "You heard what they said! My mum, my sister…they know who we are. They know where I live, where you live."

Sean felt his heart explode in his chest as he heard a shout behind him. Turning his head he saw it was one of the older boys.

"Fuck," Sean shouted still pulling Chas along with him. He saw a car a few yards away.

Reaching the car Sean pulled the small egg-like device from his pocket. He circled the locking mechanism; it clicked and he opened the door.

"Get in the fucking car…" Sean screamed as he saw two of the youths were now through the gap.

Chas opened the door and got in as Sean raced to get in the driver's side.

"Sean," Chas cried out as Sean fumbled with the device and scrambled in. As he did he heard a bang on the car roof.

"Little fuckers I told you what would happen if we found you," the boy screamed at them, spraying spittle against the side window. Chas went to click the locking button on the window but found it was snapped off. Chas kept his hand on the handle as another one of the gang fought to open the door. Sean heard the engine gun into life and he tried to put the car into gear but it kept making heaving grinding noises. He tried to calm himself as he placed his foot of the clutch and wiggled the gear stick to check it was in neutral.

The leader was now in the front of the car, his hands on the bonnet. Sean felt the gear stick move into place and slammed his foot down on the accelerator peddle. He screamed in despair when the car didn't move. He tried again but no matter how hard Sean put his foot on the accelerator the car wouldn't move. He panicked, he had it in gear. He pushed his foot right down to the floor until he was almost standing.

He looked down, cursed, and then pulled off the hand brake. The car lurched forward throwing Sean's chest into the steering wheel. Chas slipped off his seat and his hands almost came off the door handle. He twisted back and moved to keep hands gripped on the metal. The leader called out when the car lurched again and almost hit him. It heaved again and he leaped aside as the car swerved round him then fishtailed down the road before driving onto the pavement opposite.

"Watch out!" Chas screamed as the car narrowly missed a lamp post. Chas looked backwards and saw one of the youths running after them, a brick in his hand.

"Sean!" he cried out as the car now lurched forward and hopped along the road screaming in second gear as a brick followed by another smashed into the back window.


	3. Chapter 3

His back to the cell wall and his knees drawn up, Sean went over the story him and Chas had come up with. They had been nowhere near the warehouse. Never heard of it. They had been out joy riding. He'd taken the car from Renault Street; no, it had nothing to do with Chas. It had been all his own idea to take the car; his fault, all of it.

He tried to keep calm but the events in the warehouse kept playing over and over in his mind. The flames of the warehouse kept being replaced with seeing his Dads and Chas's Mum and sister being burnt up. He felt his foot tapping against the side of the bench and he put his hand on it but it wouldn't stop.

He just wanted to go home and have his Dads warp their arms around him. Sean wiped his tee-shirt across his face to dry his tears. A shiver of fear went through him. Would they come now that he was really bad? He heard footsteps and the cell door opened.

"Your Dads are here," the police officer told him. Sean felt a surge of relief which was replaced in an instant with his stomach turning over at what their reaction was going to be.

"I knew you couldn't keep me here," Sean heard himself say with as much bravado as he could, trying to conceal how scared he was.

"This way," the policemen said as he was led to a room. He saw Dad and Tad sitting along the back wall. He was so pleased to see them he wanted to throw his arms around them.

The policeman directed him to sit in a chair before the table. "Sean Harkness-Jones has entered the room accompanied by Police Constable Ivan Williams. Also present are Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones and myself, Detective Inspector Kathy Swanson."

"What's going on?" Sean asked shakily. Last time he had been in trouble he had made a statement, been charged, and the sergeant had given him a warning. He was just there for taking the car so he figured it would be much the same. They had spoken up for him and he had gone home and it had been all over so quickly. The worst had been the dressing down he had gotten; that and the forced labour of having to clean out the lower levels of the Hub for six weeks. Sean sniffed and wiped his hand across his nose. He swallowed and threw a glance toward his Dads who were looking thunderous.

"We need to ask you a few questions," Kathy Swanson began. "I have no comment," Sean replied saying the first thing that came into his head.

"Sit down," Sean heard his Tad say sternly from behind and he sat down with a thump.

"You've had an interesting afternoon," Kathy said. Sean looked at his hands trying to hide how out of his depth he was. "Tell me about Chas."

Sean looked at her sharply. "He had nothing to do with this," he blurted out.

"Do with what?" Swanson asked.

"Nothing," Sean replied trying to recover, looking down at his hands again.

"Is he your friend?"

"Sort of."

"What sort of friend is he?"

"He's just a friend," Sean found his foot tapping against the chair.

"Best friend? Would you say you and Chas are best friends?"

Everyone knew him and Chas were best friends, so there was no harm in saying. "I suppose."

"What sort of things do you and Chas do as best friends?"

Sean found his face heating up. "Just things…"

"What sort of things?" Kathy watched him blush a deep red.

"Things," Sean's knee now joined his foot.

"Can you tell me about those things?" she asked.

Sean squirmed uncomfortably in his seat and felt sure his face was on fire. "They're pri...pri...private things…"Sean stammered out.

He heard his Tad interrupting. "I think we've established that Sean and Chas our best friends," Ianto said and he looked as Jack who nodded his understanding. They both recognised that it was possible Sean was trying to avoid saying Chas was his boyfriend.

"We know Chas is Sean's friend. He came to Sean's birthday party a month ago, and they spend a lot of time together," Jack added.

"So he's a special friend. Someone you hang out with, like a best friend." Sean nodded. "I need you to speak up Sean this is being taped," Swanson pointed out.

"Yes, he's my best friend," Sean replied.

"You said Chas has nothing to do with this. What did you mean?

"I can't say," Sean squirmed.

"You said Chas has nothing to do with this," she repeated. "It was the second thing you said. It was like it was really important you needed us to know Chas had nothing to do what happened." Kathy saw him twist his hands then realise what he was doing and put them on his knees. "Well, Chas has told us a lot of interesting things." Kathy sat back her arms crossed, using a typical police tactic.

"We were nowhere near the warehouse and he has nothing to do with this," Sean cried out.

"No one mentioned a warehouse," Kathy pointed out and she saw Sean realise he had said too much and he seemed to shrink in on himself.

"Nothing," Sean repeated knowing he had been fooled as his whole leg now seemed to have joined his foot and knee and he pressed his hand into it to stop it moving.

"I think Chas means a lot to you and that you are protecting him. I think something happened today and this is your chance to tell us your side."

He took a deep breath as he tried to make up something believable. Chas had only his Mum and sisters and Chas was so scared and they knew where he lived. His sister was only twelve and his Mum; she was all on her own. They were going to tie up his Dads, pour petrol on them and burn the house down. He swallowed. If he took the blame then they would leave them alone and he could keep Chas, his mum, sister and his Dads safe.

"It was my entire fault," Sean gulped.

"How was this your fault?" she asked.

"I was showing off. I had this thing from my Dads' work. I thought it was a firework. I pulled the tab." He went on to describe what happened. "Chas got scared, we ran out. We knew we were in big trouble. I told Chas we had to run away. It was me who stole the car."

"I am now showing you the device found on Sean when he was arrested." She put the flat egg-like device on the table in a bag.

"Yes, I used that to steal and start the car," Sean admitted.

"How did you use it?" Kathy asked as she examined the object through the bag.

"It's a door opener. It opens car doors and it starts the engine." Sean took the device and demonstrated.

"So you used this to open the car door and start the engine?" she repeated.

"Yes, I used it to open the car door and start the car because I told Chas we had to get as far away as possible."

"So you were alone in the warehouse?"

"Yes...I mean no, there was no-one else just us."

"So it was you and Chas in the warehouse," she repeated. She saw Sean visibly swallow then look at the ceiling; then at his hands and then attempt to speak.

"You need to speak up," she indicated.

"Yes, it was just me and Chas, but we were only in part of the warehouse, there might have been others, lots of kids hang out there," Sean explained.

"That's very interesting you should say that Sean because a witness has come forward to say they also saw three older youths around eighteen, nineteen years old running out of the warehouse."

"We saw no-one else. I used the firework; we ran out and got really scared. I saw the car and I took it," Sean said quickly as if the faster he spoke the more convincing he would be.

"I am now placing photographs onto the table," she intoned as she placed several sheets of photographs before him.

"Do you recognise any of these faces?"

Sean's eyes widened in fear and he instinctively moved back a fraction when she turned over to a second sheet. "No, no I have no idea who they are, never seen them before," he replied a little too quickly.

Kathy spoke softly, "This warehouse has a bit of a reputation. It's the sort of place where people with special best friends can sort of hang about and where they can do private things. And there has been a spate of nasty attacks on people with special friends who have been very badly hurt." She saw Jack clench his jaw and Ianto lose all the blood from his face as they realised the implications of her words.

"No, I have no idea. I have never seen them before," Sean heard himself say as he felt his Tad's hand on his arm.

"This is your opportunity to tell me what really happened." Swanson said kindly.

"It was all my fault, I was showing off. Chas had nothing to do with this," Sean shouted at them. "There was no-one else there, just me and Chas. We meet there sometimes after school and all we do is talk, that's all, talk."

"Sean, I can see that you're scared. You need to tell us what really happened," she urged him as she saw him hunch forward and cross his arms. "I'll tell you what I believe," she said as the clock ticked over." I believe you went there to meet Chas today. I also believe that you took the device from your Dads' work because he had identified it. From what your Dad tells me the device was a powerful distress flare that had only just been discovered as missing. And it's clear it burnt down the warehouse. But I tell you now I don't believe you caused the warehouse to burn down. Don't get me wrong; I think you are telling the truth about wanting to show off, but this..." she saw him look up. "At any other time I might believe your story about what happened but not this time." She rubbed his hand. "I can't help you Sean if you don't tell us the truth."

"I am telling you the truth!" Sean repeated desperate to get them to believe him. "It was all my fault; I was showing off, I dragged Chas along, I stole the car."

"Can we stop this so we can have a word with Sean?" Jack interrupted, desperate to talk to his son. There was far more going on that had been reported to them. They had been told Sean had been arrested for stealing a car and the car chase he had led the police on. The police had a number of questions relating to the warehouse fire. They had braced themselves for it being Sean's fault because they both knew just how dangerous alien artefacts could be. As the interview had unfolded it was clear whatever had happened to Sean had scared the wits out of him.

"I think that's a good idea, "she said. "I am calling a break. The time is three minutes past seven on Wednesday twenty seventh of April, 2026." She stood up and left with the constable.

As soon as the room was clear Jack and Ianto threw their arms around Sean who broke down into heaving sobs.

Several moments ticked by before Sean's sobs subsided and they drew back. Ianto handed him a handkerchief.

"You need to tell her the truth," Jack rubbed Sean's back.

Sean shook his head. "I can't because this is the truth."

"You can't because it is the truth?" Ianto repeated his arm still around him. "That doesn't make any sense.

"It does Tad, you have to believe me," Sean told them, a waver in his voice and his face dirty and tearstained.

"Look we know about Chas," Jack said. "We figured he might be your boyfriend. We also realise you're trying to protect him from whatever happened. Just explain what happened, no embellishments just the truth."

"Why don't you believe me? I'm telling you the truth," Sean spoke.

Ianto wanting to shake him but held him close. "So what you're saying is it's better to say you did this and take all the blame then tell anyone what actually happened."

"Yes." Sean nodded miserably and his shoulders slumped. Ianto hugged him again as Jack looked at him wondering what the hell had happened to make him so scared that he was willing to take the blame for thousands of pounds worth of damage. Ianto looked at Jack and felt rage beginning to build and for a fraction of a moment Ianto actually felt sorry for the thugs that had done this.

"So he wants to take the blame," Police Constable Ivan Williams said.

Kathy took a mouth full of tea as she leaned up against the drinks machine just along the corridor from the interview room. "Yeah but what he doesn't know is Chas has said the same thing. He's willing to swear Sean had nothing to do with this. Only in his version it was his idea to let off the flare and steal the car."

"What is so frustrating," Ivan added, "is we finally have two witnesses who can possibly identify members of the gang but are too terrified to speak up."

"I'm betting neither boy had any intention of burning down the place but unless they speak up we can't help them and if they keep insisting it was their fault they are in deep trouble."

"Should we offer them protection of some kind? It is clearly evident they've been threatened," Ivan suggested.

"Oh Sean and Chas will have protection alright. It's the thugs I'm worried about." Ivan looked at her strangely. "His dad is Captain Jack Harkness…Torchwood."

"Torchwood?" the young PC tried to recall if he had ever heard of that name before.

"Torchwood...down by the bay. They deal with anything they deem within their jurisdiction.

They have the means and authorisation to deal with it in any manner they regard as suitable."

"No one is above the law," Ivan retorted.

"These people are. They are the thorn in the side of us, the armed forces, UNIT...you name it. If anything comes under their authority there is no debate, they walk in and take over any investigation and act until it's dealt with and or eliminated."

"Eliminated!" Ivan looked shocked.

"Eliminated," she put two fingers to her head.

"And he's head of this organisation?" Ivan stated loudly.

Swanson shushed him. "Sean and Chas are terrified. Chas lives on the same estate as the gang. We've got his family being watched. All we can do is pray the thugs really are stupid and actually make a move. If they do we can get them in here before Captain Harkness manages to track them down."

"Are you serious?" Ivan said in disbelief.

"Jack's like any father in this situation; his son has been hurt, and scared into taking the blame for something he didn't do. Even the car theft can be explained away as them trying to escape. The same witness will swear the boys only took the car after they saw the thugs coming towards them. Trouble is most dads don't have the ability to follow through. Jack has a reputation for ruthlessness. However, since he met his partner Ianto Jones, Jack's been far less hands' on but I have a feeling he is going to make an exception in this case."

"That may well be but there are other victims and I would like justice to be seen to be done," Ivan said taking a drink from his own cup and Kathy nodded her agreement.

"Sean and Chas?" he asked after several moments had passed.

"I think if they still insist it was their fault we will have to charge both of them and we can move to the next phase of questioning. Call up and tell Detective Sergeant Andy Davidson, we're ready for phase two." Kathy told him.

Ivan drained his cup and moved off.

"So you are sticking to your story? " Swanson said as she completed the return procedure and sat down.

"Yes, I was showing off, I stole the car," Sean repeated.

She looked over and saw his fathers were looking exceedingly unhappy.

"What happens now?" Sean asked as she went to stand.

"Well for now this concludes the interview into what happened at the warehouse, but there is another matter that needs to be discussed."

Jack and Ianto looked at each other confused. "I thought he was here for the fire and the car theft?" Ianto said.

"We need to discuss with Sean about the contents of his backpack," she told them both and saw Sean visibly flinch.

"Can you call Detective Sergeant Andy Davidson. He has some questions," she told the young police woman by the door. Several moments later the door opened and Andy walked in and sat down and introduced himself to the tape.

He placed two plastic bags on the table. One plastic bag had a small notebook and the other plastic cards the shape and size of a credit card.

"Do you recognise this?" Andy asked Sean as he opened the bag containing the notebook.

"No."

"I am now opening the small notebook and showing it to Jack Harkness." Andy held out the book. "Is this Sean's handwriting?"

Jack took the book, looked down, and then nodded, unable to speak.

"Could you speak up for the tape?" Andy asked as Jack handed the notebook back.

"Yes, it's Sean's handwriting," Jack said boring his eyes into the back of Sean's head.

Andy took back the book and opened it and looked through the contents. "I am opening the notebook. The book contains details of the names and type of ID and or driver's licence requested along with notations of price and payment received." He looked at Sean. "Anything you would like to add?"

"No comment," Sean replied and he prayed the Earth to open up and swallow him.

Andy now began to lay out several completed driver's licences and ID's "Do you recognise these?"

"No comment."

"These have been in circulation for some time; they're fakes...very good fakes. So good in fact there has been a concerted effort to find out who has been creating and distributing them," Andy stated as Sean found his eyes transfixed on the cards displayed in front of him.

"Can you tell me anything about who might have made them? Is it you?"

Sean closed his eyes. "No comment," he said under his breath.

"Very well," Andy said, standing. He pulled out an official-looking form from the file he had placed on the table earlier. "This is a search warrant; you will now accompany myself and the constable along with your parents to your house."

Jack snatched the form from Andy's hand, scanned it then handed it to Ianto.

"Because you are a flight risk you will be handcuffed." Sean stood up and PC Williamson snapped one ring of the handcuffs around his own hand and then the other around Sean's wrist with a snap.

"Dad! Tad!" Sean turned round and glared at his fathers, stunned they were going along with this.

"I am so angry right now Sean I can hardly speak," Ianto told him, furious at the sudden turn of events. He handed the warrant back to Andy.

Pouting Sean watched as the police systematically turned over his bedroom. So far lying in the hallway was his laptop, printer, his portable hard drive, several stick drives, a stack of paper, and a laminating machine. Eleven pocket notebooks were filled with orders and the of names of every person he had sold a licence or an ID to, along with how much he had been paid for said item and the profit were in small plastic bags on his bed.

Andy turned to Sean. "Before I subject this house to a fuller search will you tell me if you have hidden anything else we need to know about?"

Sean felt defiant and was about snap back when he saw the look on his Tad's face, who was rigid with anger.

"Okay," Sean replied meekly and led them to the spare room. Opening the cupboard he reached in and took a shoe box out with several blank ID's and licences along with a large roll of cash.

"Is this everything else?" Andy asked him. Sean shook his head.

"What now?" Jack asked as he joined them his face a mirror of Ianto's.

"Now we go back to the station where the items from the search will be listed for evidence and Sean will be charged," Andy told them as Ianto braced himself.

Andy pulled Jack aside as Sean was led down stairs. "And if anything happens to those thugs you will have me to answer to. Do you understand?"

"I'm not about to let my son go down for something he didn't do," Jack warned him. "The fraud yes. The warehouse and the car theft, no."

"Please let us deal with this," Andy told him and felt a shiver of fear at the dangerous glint he saw flash across Jack's eyes.

"Go ahead," Jack glared at him, "but the clock is ticking."

Sean stood in front of the tall counter keeping his head down. All he wanted was to go home. He desperately needed to use the phone. Was Chas alright? Was he here? What about his Mum and sister? Were those horrible men out there now waiting for Chas to come home and hurt him and his family? Sean hesitated for a moment and lifted his eyes thinking maybe he should say something but a wave of fear made him stop. What he needed was to get home. He would stay awake all night making sure nothing happened. His thoughts were interrupted when a heavy set man wearing a police jumper started reading out loud.

"Sean Patrick Harkness-Jones you are charged with the following: arson, criminal damage, trespassing, theft of a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving while forbidden, reckless endangerment, manufacturing and distribution of licences for the purpose of deception and monetary gain." He looked up from the computer screen. "Please remove your shoes, hoodie, and belt."

"Why? I'm going home." Sean turned around to look at his Dads and he panicked.

"You've been remanded into custody to appear in youth court. Your fathers will meet you there tomorrow morning," the sergeant told him.

"Dad, Tad, get me out of here," he pleaded. "Please I want to go home, I need to go home."

"We have no choice. You have to remain here," Ianto told him trying to stop himself from fighting everyone and taking Sean out of there. He stopped when he felt Jack's hand on his arm just as he started to move forward.

"I love you please don't let them lock me up. It's really important. Please Dad, Tad," Sean shouted back as he saw them seemingly unmoved. PC Williamson moved forward and opened the door leading towards the back of the station.

"I hate you! I hate you both!" Sean shouted at them as he was led away in shock.


	4. Chapter 4

Ianto slumped down next to Jack on the sofa and laid his head on his shoulder. "I want to strangle him, then hold onto him and promise we can sort all this out. At the same time, give him a clip round the ear and ground him for the rest of his life," Ianto growled.

"I think it's clear they took the car in an effort to run away," Jack said.

"Chas is a big part of this. He was so determined to keep him out of this," Ianto added. "What did Kathy say; that Chas had told her it was his fault? He admitted that he set off the flare to show off to Sean. Then he stole the car and he stuck to that even though it was Sean driving when they were picked up," Ianto added in exasperation.

"I'm fucking furious at Kathy Swanson. Poor bloody kid hasn't come out to us let alone being outed by a complete stranger. And how many fourteen-year-olds want to talk about sex in front of adults? I could feel the heat of embarrassment rising off him," Jack commented.

Ianto put his hand on his wrist to calm him down. "You don't think they have, do you?" Ianto looked concerned.

"No I don't think so but we better have that safe sex talk with him again and make sure he's going out armed with what he needs just in case he's too embarrassed to actually buy any. And we had better include the 'don't rush into things you've got years' speech. You know prepared sex is safe sex." Jack groaned. "When did a snog and a fumble get to be so complicated?"

Ianto sighed. "As we were driving home I was thinking, this time eighteen months ago almost to the day we were on a Caribbean Disney cruise, hanging about on Castaway Cay playing pirates. I remember thinking we had got it right. Look at this amazing kid. He's everything you would want and dream your kid to be: smart, polite, loving, a joy to be with. God it was fun and now we're driving home from the police station because he's been arrested for the second time."

"Sean has talked himself into a great deal of trouble. What can we do to help him understand that he needs to tell us what really happened?" Jack added.

"You know Chas could be part of the key here. He lives on that estate. Maybe the thugs in the pictures know him or his family. Did they threaten Chas's family, or us?" Ianto said thinking this could be a valid reason for Sean's continued arguments that it was his fault.

"It's a bully culture; you keep quiet because the grownups don't understand that speaking out only makes it worse." Ianto sunk further into the sofa.

"How could this be worse?" Jack bolt upright. Then he felt Ianto's fear and realised they could have two dead or seriously injured teens on their hands if what Kathy had indicated was true.

"I think for both of them to admit this was their fault it can only be life and death. I'm sorry he no longer trust us," Ianto added sadly after a few moments has passed.

"This has nothing to do with trust. This is about two kids being too terrified to identify the real villains in all this," Jack said with a twisted grin, "and by the time I'm finished with them they are going to wish they had never stepped into that warehouse."

"Be careful Jack. You heard Andy, anything happens to them it's you he'll be looking for," Ianto warned as he saw Jack tilt his head but knew the rage he could feel via their link was growing with each passing moment, looking for an outlet. In all their years he had never experienced Jack's ruthlessness because Jack had kept out of active field ops for fear at what might happen to Ianto if he died.

"The Torchwood team have set up surveillance and if nothing else we can make sure nothing happens to Chas's family and tomorrow…" Jack growled, "I want them found."

"I know Jack, but if the real thugs come to harm then they can't tell the truth about what happened. If it appears they were coerced," Ianto started to say and he saw a grim smile grow on Jack's face.

"Trust me, they will get their due…" Jack leaned forward took a mouthful of coffee.

"As for the rest...fake licences. He had nearly nine hundred pounds in cash. Why do I feel this modicum of pride they were so good?" Ianto picked up his own mug.

"That's because they were," Jack burst out. "I doubt Tosh could have done a better job using Hub equipment. What was he using? Home printer, computer and a small laminating machine?"

"I was sort of impressed by his bookkeeping. I mean he had complete records of every one he had made and sold, how much each cost to produce and how much he sold it for and the profit," Ianto expounded.

"It's my past, coming back to haunt me, you know that," Jack groaned.

"Yeah your conman criminal genes." Ianto kissed Jack on the forehead.

"And your ability to run a good business, small shopkeeper genes."

Jack wiped a hand over his face. "And to think we thought things were bad over a shit bomb and a swearing pterodactyl."

"They are Jack. He could have been seriously hurt let alone the distress he's caused."

"And Myfanwy...how did he do it? She's been untameable. A small explosion happens and she swearing but only when I appear," Jack mused.

'I don't want him pleading guilty. I want him in and out of that courtroom and home," Ianto told him as put down his mug and Jack put his arm around him.

"Tosh said if we place a plan in front of the judge, and argue he will be under our complete supervision; hand over our passports, offer to pay a massive bond as bail, set him up to see a guidance counsellor, and then he might be allowed into our care. It means one of us will have to be with him at all times. With that in mind Tosh sent these over." Jack leaned forward and picked up a large manila envelope from the small coffee table in front of them.

Taking the envelope Jack shook out three silver bracelets along with a small round device covered in buttons. "We can set the distance. I figured the circumference of this house including the conservatory." Jack examined the control mechanism.

"House arrest; walk outside the zone and zap," Ianto said picking up one of the bracelets.

"Something like that. The bracelets can be set so only one of us needs to be in the vicinity," Jack added. "We set the distance and if he gets out of range there's a growing feeling of discomfort. If he steps outside the zone, extreme pain. We can also set up how long they stay on for."

"Any ideas?"

Jack smiled grimly, "I was thinking the rest of his life, then I thought that's not fair so just till he's thirty."

"Chas?"

"Once this is over, we need to talk about them meeting in a safer place. I thought the days of hanging around in parks and undesirable locations was long gone," Jack told him sadly.

'Well, homophobia is still alive and well so clearly hiding you have a boyfriend is still something you have to do … god what a mess. And don't think I am going to sleep tonight, not with him in here. The look on his face, when he knew he was going to have to stay..." Ianto admitted.

"I wanted to break him out of there with my bare hands. Leaving him there was the hardest thing I have ever had to do," Jack added.

"Do you think he will be alright? I mean, cells overnight...the things you hear," Ianto said his voice shaking.

"Both Andy and Kathy will make sure he's okay. There're good people. It's just one night," he soothed.

"What if they remand him to a youth custody facility?"

"Don't please, don't go there," Jack broke down as Ianto took him in his arms.

Sitting in the back of the family car Sean felt relieved to be out of the police station. The night before he had been terrified. The cell had been horrible and stank of vomit. He had thrown himself on the blue plastic covered mattress on a shelf along back wall. There had been a stainless steel toilet opposite which he only used when he had to. He kept hearing people banging about and shouting. He hadn't heard Chas so he had no idea if he was in the same set of cells. He hoped he was alright, he wished he was here.

He was so hurt his Dads had left him there. Why couldn't they see and hear he was trying to help them? 'He was bad that's why,' hetold himself. 'This proved he was not theirs. If he was their real son they would have never allowed the police to search his bedroom and lock him up.' Eventually he had fallen asleep to be woken by a nice police officer who had bought him a cup of tea and a couple of slices of toast. Just as he finished eating, Tad had turned up with a change of clothes and then he had been taken around to the court.

He was hoping to see Chas but he was not there. He had stood between his fathers who argued a case of his being released into their custody. Thankfully he didn't have to speak. He thought saying nothing at this point was a good idea. Apparently the lady detective from the day before said they were only charging him as a precaution as the investigation was ongoing. He had no idea what that meant. The Judge had scowled at him and said he had to appear again in one weeks' time when the charges would be reviewed.

The car pulled over at a road side pie cart and his Tad got out and returned a short time later with three cups of tea and four bacon rolls.

"Thank you," Sean said quietly as he took the tea and two rolls. Ianto came and sat next to him. Famished, Sean devoured the first roll in three bites, then drank down half the tea in one gulp, and scoffed down the second roll in four bites.

Twisting in his seat Jack watched as Sean seemed to inhale the bacon rolls he'd been given. As Sean drained his cup Jack spoke. "Now there is something we have to do before can go home."

"You need to go and apologise to everyone at the Hub then clean up and tell us about Myfanwy," Ianto added.

"Please Dad, I just want to go home," Sean pleaded as Ianto put his hand on Sean's knee.

"We know, we want you home, but we figured you wouldn't want this hanging over your head," Jack explained. "Apology, clean up, explanation," Sean threw himself into back of the seat and crossed his arms pulling a face.

"We know this is the last thing you want but you need to get this over with." Ianto nodded to Jack who turned around and started up the car.

"Please," Sean said looking at his Tad as he struggled not to show how upset he was.

"Once that's done we can go home," Ianto went to put his arm around him but Sean shrugged him away.

"We have all done things we are not proud of," Jack explained as they drove off. "All of us have made mistakes and the hardest thing you will ever have to do is to face up to them."

"It's also a mess you made and it's only right you should have to clean it up," Ianto informed him trying to keep the hurt out of his voice from Sean's rejection of him.

Tosh pointed to the fetid and stinking mess that had splattered across the confined area of the corridor. Sean got to work using a using a hose and broom. Tosh tried to temper her anger with the understanding she had of his situation. Part of her knew Sean was in trouble and had been scared out of his wits the day before and had taken the blame for something not entirely his fault. She was not unsympathetic to his situation but that did not change what he had done. Compounding her anger was the change in Sean over the past thirteen months. In her eyes he had been truly privileged. No child she knew had been as wanted, fought for, or loved. He was the apple of his fathers' eyes and within months he had turned from the most wonderful loving child into the sullen angry young man before her.

"I don't understand," Tosh said as Sean got to work hosing the area down. "I thought we were friends. How could you do this to me or anyone here?"

"I never meant for this to happen," Sean said quietly, not able to look her in the eye.

"What did you think would happen when you set this up? One of was eventually going to walk into it," she pointed out bluntly.

"I never meant…"

"Never meant what?"

"It wasn't… I didn't.. this wasn't meant for you…" Sean attacked a stain on the side of the wall with the broom.

"So who was it meant for? Because this booby trap had 'to whom it may concern' stamped all over it. And I was the one who copped the lot Sean."

"It wasn't meant for you, okay?" Sean snapped back.

"Is about your ongoing battle with you Dad, is that what you're saying? Answer me," she demanded when he refused to answer. He looked horribly embarrassed and continued working. "Why you are giving your Dad such a hard time?"

"He...they give me a hard time," Sean replied sullenly. "And now you hate me too." He used the hose to flush away the lumps of filth he had scrubbed off the walls down the drain.

"I don't hate you Sean. I'm just disappointed that you could set up something like this. You must have known at some point one of was going to come down here. It was a spiteful, stupid thing to do. I wish I could figure this out, Sean."

"They hate me," he said under his breath.

"What? Who?" she asked confused.

"Them, Dad and Tad."

"Sean, they went through hell to have you. Months of worry, it was touch and go from the very beginning, and your Tad...let's just say he was prepared to go to any lengths," Tosh said, recalling the scene after the Doctor had left. Ianto had been prepared to jump realities.

Sean looked up staring at her. "What do you mean?"

"You have no idea what they were prepared to do Sean to see you born."

"Maybe it would have been better if I hadn't been born," Sean spat out as he went back to attacking another area of encrusted dried-on filth.

"Don't you ever let your Tad hear you say that," Tosh warned him shaking her head.

"Like he cares," Sean replied defensively.

"You don't think your Tad cares?" Jack entered the conversation. He touched Tosh on her shoulder. She nodded, glanced at Sean sadly, turned and went back up the stairs towards the main Hub area.

"Your Tad loves you; I love you very much," Jack took a breath. "We're worried about you and for your own and everyone's sake you need to tell the truth."

"I am telling the truth." Sean kept scrubbing.

"Why won't you trust us? Maybe we could help."

"Right like you trust me with all your secrets," Sean kept scrubbing.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jack snapped back, hurt that his approach was being thrown back at him.

"Like you fucking care."

"You don't think we care Sean?" Jack said stunned at Sean's words.

"More concerned about your stupid coat and Myfanwy and cleaning up, " Sean snapped back.

"So that's why neither of us slept last night, sick with worry," Jack retorted.

"You let them take me away and left me there in that cell all night," Sean turned and pointed a finger at Jack. Fighting back the tears he felt prick in his eyes he recalled the hurt of them not stopping him from being taken to the cells as he had pleaded with them.

"Sean you'd been arrested, there was nothing we could do. You wouldn't tell the truth and we had no say in the matter," Jack tried to explain as he moved to put his arm around Sean but found it shrugged off.

"If we were a real family you would never have left me there," Sean shouted. Jack looked at him bewildered.

"Real family?" Jack repeated as the words shook him deeply.

"A real family," Sean shouted back

"Instead of what?" Jack said bewildered.

"You and you." Sean pointed at Ianto who had joined them. "It is so embarrassing being in this family."

"Well you are lucky you were born into a family where you have two people who love you. There are other children not so lucky to have even one," Ianto pointed out

'Well I wish...I wish I had never been born," Sean threw back without thinking. He turned to continue scrubbing the walls. He failed to see his Tad go pale and stumble backwards and then turn and then head back up the stairs.

"Oh Sean," Jack said "You've really hurt your Tad."

"Like I care," Sean retorted and picked up the hose.

Jack watched with frustration as he sent as much love down the link to Ianto as he could. He felt Ianto withdrawing into himself at Sean's outburst. He watched Sean, trying to figure out why his son felt the need to say such hurtful things. He just didn't understand. Sean was so loved and so wanted. He tried to put the words aside because he knew they were words said in anger but they hurt, hurt more deeply than Sean could ever know.

"Lounge," Ianto ordered as he unlocked the front door and pointed.

Sean threw himself in the armchair in a huff and drew up his legs and stared at the carpet. A short time later he looked up and saw his Tad holding out a mug of tea.

"Not enough sugar," Sean said taking a sip.

"It's got two teaspoons, that's plenty. I've made you some sandwiches," Ianto offered and placed the plate filled with sandwiches on the small table beside the chair.

Standing back Ianto watched the contents of the plate disappear.

"I need my mobile," Sean said after he had cleared the plate.

"The police have both your personal and your business mobiles," Ianto replied.

"I need to check on …" Sean started to say. .

Ianto interrupted him. "The judge said you were to have no contact with Chas. But I've spoken to his mum and he was released like you and is at home." Ianto saw relief then fear cross Sean's face. "The police have his house under surveillance," he added a few moments later and saw Sean let out a breath.

"Okay I want you to go and have a shower then come back down here," Ianto told him as he saw a look of rebellion cross Sean's face. "You need to be somewhere where I can see you," Ianto said, not wanting to admit that he didn't want to let Sean out of his sight. If he was in sight he was safe. Ianto picked up the plate and mug and he heard Sean stomp up the stairs.

Standing by the sink Ianto washed up the past couple of days' dirty dishes. Normally he would throw them all in the dishwasher, but he needed to be active and a mundane task like this after the past thirty-six hours was a godsend.

He pushed out and could sense Jack headed towards home, and felt a burning rage building. He only now following them home because he wanted to check that continued surveillance of Chas or his family ensured he was not harmed. Jack had also wanted an update on efforts to finding the gang who had done this. Ianto sent calm down the link but knew right now Jack was only just holding on.

Ianto took out another mug from the soapy water as Sean's words slammed into him. He gazed into the garden as he thought about the first time he had held Sean in his arms. After losing Lisa and Roslyn he never thought he would be so lucky to fall in love again let alone have a child of his own. Truth be told he had revelled in every moment. Twelve years of bliss and within months Sean had become this seething mass of contradiction. Loving one moment, hateful the next, saying the most hurtful possible things. Gone was the loving child who enjoyed being with them, to rejecting them on every level.

He placed the final mug on the drainer and turned to find Jack who moved to enfold his arms around him.

"It's okay," Jack said as he felt waves of distress radiating off Ianto.

"I just want to wrap him in my arms, but you've seen how he is; he just pushes us away. It hurts. I can see how out of his depth he is but he won't confide in us anymore. I just feel so lost like we've failed somehow."

"I know," Jack added as they held each other close.

"I love him so much. I can see he's scared but why does he say such hurtful things?"

They allowed each other a reconnection, opening themselves to soothe the hurt they both felt. The needed no words for this, allowing themselves to open fully so they could give each other the comfort and strength the needed in the moment.

"Do you have to do that in public?" Pulling back slightly they saw Sean with his face screwed up in disgust.

"Has it occurred to you we might need to comfort each other after the past couple of days?" Jack snapped back.

"We are allowed to hug each other in our own home Sean," Ianto pointed out.

"Do you have to? Why can't you just be normal? It's-...it's...not normal."

Jack felt a band deep within his chest break. "Normal! I have had enough. We deserve to give each other a hug. The last two days have been hell; first my staff and I are covered in shit. You run off and your Tad and I spend hours searching for you, both of us sick with worry because we have no idea where you are. So worried in fact we are about to start a major search. Then we get called by the police because you've been arrested after a massive car chase across half of Cardiff in a stolen car endangering the lives of yourself, Chas, other drivers, pedestrians, let alone the police who tried to stop you." Jack's vision blurred.

"Racing to the police station we find out you're involved in a major fire and could have been killed. We have to deal with the fact you no longer trust us to tell us what is going on and allow us to help. Have you any idea of how difficult it was for us to sit there while you dig yourself a deeper and deeper hole? Then just when we thought it couldn't get any worse we find out you've been creating and selling fake ID's, and we are subjected to a police search. A police search Sean, going through our personal stuff like we criminals," Jack thundered. Sean took a step back against the wall as his Dad moved towards both hands in fists.

"We don't sleep because we're terrified about your safety while in the police cells. We spent all of last night desperate to find some way to keep you being taken into custodial care, which is a nice term for prison and finally," Jack took a deep breath. "Finally I have to be subjected to my son having to apologise in front of my entire staff." Jack pulled himself up. "And why? Because you can't keep your hands off stuff that doesn't belong to you. Dangerous artefacts that could have caused you and those around you harm which you have been warned again and again not to touch." Jack's eyes were wild with fury spat out the words. He felt Ianto touch his arm as he leaned forward and stared Sean down.

Shaking his eyes filled with tears Sean raised a finger. "I knew it; I'm so bad you are going to throw me away."

Jack's head cleared and he grabbed Sean who was trying to back away, his face distorted with several emotions.

"I don't understand. Where has this come from? You're my son," Jack said through gritted teeth as he shook him.

"You're going to kick me out and get some good kid," Sean blurted out in desperation. "A kid who never does bad things."

"Never, we love you, you are ours." Ianto reached out, desperate to reassure Sean.

"No I'm not!" Sean punched away Ianto's outstretched hand. "Who's my MUM? Who's my DAD? Which one of you is...or is it neither? Did she know I was bad and that's why she gave me away? Or am I just some stray kid you took pity on and now I'm bad you're just going to throw me out and get some good kid who doesn't do bad things?"

Sean saw the look of shock on his dads' faces. Misinterpreting their exchanged look he let out a cry then turned and raced out through the conservatory. Ianto, with Jack close behind, took off after him. Reaching the opening Sean threw a chair towards them. Ianto leapt over the chair, almost tripping. He stumbled then regained his balance as they reached the garden. Ianto threw himself forwards in rugby tackle. He caught the bottom of Sean's legs and they both hit the ground with a thump.

"Leave me alone! You don't want me, you've never wanted me!" Sean screamed. Ianto held onto his legs as Sean twisted and writhed to escape.

Sean found himself pulled up in one move. "We love you. You are the single most important person in our lives." Jack wrapped his arms arm around him fiercely. Ianto now stood and from behind wrapped his arms around them both.

"We love you, you are ours," Ianto shouted out and Sean now went limp but found he was being held up.

"My mum didn't want me and you don't want me. I'm just a bad kid and you hate me." Sean used both hands to push Jack away with all his strength.

"It's not true. Sean, we should have told you this a long time ago but it's complicated. Ianto is your dad and so am I. Your mother wanted you very much. I know this because I'm your dad and I'm your…" Jack shouted. A forceful gust of wind surrounded and swirled drowning them in sound. The wind and a grinding noise joined to form perfect vortex. They stilled and watched as a blue box appeared before them.


	5. Part Two Tardis

Part Two

TARDIS.

The wind and noise stilled for a moment as the TARDIS seemed to fade in and out as if the ship was in some kind of difficulty. Then just as suddenly the TARDIS disappeared, along with the vortex. A moment of stillness followed. Jack kept his arms strongly around Sean and grasped Ianto's hands. Keeping Sean between their arms Jack pushed out in agreement that they should move back inside. Before either of them could move the vortex surged in and around them once more. This time it felt like they were in the centre of a tornado. The wind buffeted them on all sides and their ears filled with what sounded like the roar of a jet engine.

Then without warning it was gone, replaced with dark silence. None of them needed to be told they were no longer outside. Blinking they tried to make sense of where they were.

"What happened? Where are we?" Sean asked in a shaky voice.

"I think we're in the TARDIS," Jack said as he recognised the distinctive shape of the console.

"What?" Ianto burst out.

"She materialised around us, I think," Jack added.

"Materialised around us. What? Are you sure?" Ianto repeated and he felt Jack begin to panic.

"Are we inside that blue hut that tried to appear?" Sean asked.

"I don't know," Ianto replied then looked at Jack. "Jack?"

Jack looked wildly around. They were inside the TARDIS, the console was unmistakable. The room was far smaller than he recalled. The walls were white and honeycombed with embedded indented circles. That said it was not the console room he recalled, which had been bigger and had coral struts. The console itself was an angular five-sided mushroom. Jack looked up; instead of cables he could just make out a large round light the same size of the console.

"Speak to me, Jack; are we inside the TARDIS?" Ianto repeated his question.

"Yes and we have to get Sean out of here. I don't want him anywhere the Doctor or him," Jack said hurriedly, moving to the console and beginning to work the controls.

"Why would the TARDIS materialise around us?" Ianto asked Jack.

"We are inside the TARDIS," Jack said to himself as his hands flew over the levers and switches trying each in growing desperation.

"I'm scared Dad," Sean said staying close to his Tad.

"It's okay Sean. Ianto, I have no idea but we have got to get out of here," Jack replied.

Ianto now joined him at the console. "Agreed, but which one opens the door?" he asked.

"I don't know. This is the main control console but it's different. Just try all of them," Jack raised his voice. Ianto began to flip, pull and turn every knob, dial, lever, and switch in every possible combination.

"Maybe this is not the same TARDIS as the Doctor's," Ianto suggested.

"No; there are no others, this is the last. There was a terrible war. I'm not sure of all the details but it wiped out their whole civilisation."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I just am, okay? I know this is his TARDIS," Jack said his voice rising in pitch.

Ianto felt the panic in Jack increase as it became clear all of the controls on the console were seemingly dead. Jack flew across the room and tried to open the door manually.

"We have to get Sean out," Jack shouted back. His heart pounded in his chest and he could hear a rushing in his ears as he began to run his hands around the crack in the door to see if his fingers could gain any purchase.

Ianto moved the controls on the console in ever-increasing desperation but nothing worked. He could feel the fear in Jack rising. He knew it had only one cause. They were trapped with a man who hated Jack beyond all reason and a mad man who had tortured him for a year. Jack's mind was in turmoil. Images upon images flashed of his ordeal along an overlying terror combined with the need to get Sean and Ianto to safety.

Sean looked around to see if he could help. The room had a strange musty smell like it had been unused for a long time. He had no idea how they could fit inside. He looked across at his Dad struggling with the door. He was scared and kept pressing the buttons and pulling any levers on the console along with his Tad.

Suddenly the pair of double doors on the opposite side of the room slammed open and a man in a brown suit wearing plimsolls entered. The room filled with smell of burnt insulation. It took a moment for both Ianto and Jack to recognise the man as the Doctor because his face was blackened. Ianto, who was closer, could swear wisps of smoke were curling off the beings shoulders.

"What are you doing in my TARDIS with that abomination?" The tall man pointed at Sean. As the words left his lips the room shook violently.

Ianto, boosted by his own fear and Jack's panic, spun on his foot and lashed out with his fist. The Doctor staggered back as Ianto's fist connected with his jaw. "My son is not an abomination," Ianto bellowed. Jack raced across the room and grabbed Ianto's upper arm, pulling him away before he could hit the Doctor again.

"That's what he is: a contamination, polluting the time lines," the Doctor said rubbing the left side of his face as he righted himself. The TARDIS vibrated then shook violently and they fought to steady themselves.

Once the quake was over the Doctor pushed Ianto roughly aside and started to work the controls, the double door slamming closed behind him. The Doctor appeared to take a moment to recover then looked up. "I don't know how you got in here but get out, and take that with you," He pointed at Sean.

"Open the door," Jack demanded.

"What did he mean...abomination?" Sean said his voice shaking in reaction to seeing his Tad punch someone. He had never seen his Tad so angry that he would react like that. Ianto moved immediately to put his arm around Sean. Together they moved to join Jack by the door.

"Don't listen to him. He's just being nasty, bitter, spiteful excuse of a being," Ianto said.

"Get out," the Doctor repeated his order. He pulled a lever forward then looked up in surprise they were still there.

"Don't you think if we could have left we would have done so?" Ianto pointed out.

"Well leave the way you got in," the Doctor suggested.

"We were in the garden. The TARDIS started to materialise beside us and next thing we were inside," Jack explained.

"What garden?" the Doctor asked, confused, looking at them as if they were mad.

"Our garden, home...Earth. We were in our garden when the TARDIS, appeared then suddenly we found ourselves here," Ianto snapped back.

"Impossible!" the Doctor declared. "The TARDIS is locked down. I know this because I did it myself. She can neither materialise nor de-materialise."

"Do you think we are here by choice? You are the last person in this universe and beyond I would want anywhere near my family," Ianto retorted.

"Well that goes double for me," the Doctor snarled.

"Well if it hasn't passed your attention the door is closed," Ianto shouted, his hands forming fists.

"Oh, think violence can get you out of this do you, Mr Jones? I can force a Time Lord to do my bidding."

"I wasn't trying to force you to do anything; I was trying to kill you with my bare hands. And if you don't open that door I might be tempted to finish the job." Sean looked at his Tad, his mouth open in shock.

They saw the Doctor's shoulders slump. "I can't, we're trapped."

"Trapped?" Jack repeated and looked at Sean who was wide eyed as he listened to the argument unfold.

"As you know I have a prisoner aboard and he's been brewing revenge for eons and he has escaped," the Doctor threw at Jack who went pale.

"HE'S free?" Jack burst out and he felt his knees give out.

The Doctor's face split into a grim smile. "Free and he has been fighting me for control of the TARDIS."

"Dad, I'm scared, what's he talking about?" Sean said pulling on his Dad's hand.

"Oh yes he's going to love you being here," the Doctor mocked Sean. "Father and son double act, I can hear the screams of the pair of you echoing down the corridors." The TARDIS rocked violently causing them all to grab the nearest surface for support.

"That's enough," Jack warned him.

"A year of torture, well I hope you are ready for a repeat." Another TARDIS quake hit.

"Stop it, you're scaring him," Ianto shouted.

"He's just a boy he knows nothing about my past," Jack pleaded.

"So he knows nothing of your misfortunes then?" the Doctor replied.

"Have some compassion! He's just fourteen years old," Ianto threw back. Sean gripped the wall with both hands as the trembling seemed to continue.

"That won't save him. You had better start praying for a miracle because he's locked every exit."

"If he has locked every exit how did we come to be here?" Ianto asked exasperated.

"Your being here is impossible I tell you."

"Do you think I would allow either myself or any of my family to ever step inside this ship willingly?" Jack pointed out.

The Doctor crossed his arms and tapped his mouth with his sonic screw driver. "No. Impossible."

"How can it be impossible? The evidence is right before your eyes," Ianto snapped.

"Stop asking me infernal questions." He pointed at Jack and Sean. "And keep yourself and him as far away from me as possible. It's impossible, I tell you!" the Doctor roared.

Sean fiddled with the bracelet on his wrist. A strange calm had descended. They had retreated to the other side of the room; they being himself and his dads. They were now seated the furthest away they could get. The strange tall man his Tad said was called the Doctor was now working at the underside of the console. He had pulled out strands of wires and odd-looking components which were strewn in and around the console.

Dad had tried to explain where they were. It was all a bit unbelievable: a time machine bigger on the inside than the outside. It wasn't that he didn't believe it but it was...it was unbelievable. He understood about the Rift; he knew that there was life out beyond Earth. He knew the Rift acted a bit like a whirlpool; if you got too close you could end on the other side of the Universe.

Time travel on the other hand, that was in stories. It was like suddenly finding out Harry Potter really existed. He thought back to when he had first read the books. How he had longed for an owl to appear, telling he was really a wizard, a wizard in training going to Hogwarts where he could play Quidditch on a Nimbus 2000. He and Chas would have been in Gryffindor, shared a room and had amazing adventures. He wasn't sure about girls, although Hermione was cool. His Dad shifted to get more comfortable and he brought his thoughts back.

Time travel was one thing; what he did know was they were trapped. Second he was very grateful the violent shaking had stopped. He wondered if anyone else had noticed it was only when the Doctor said nasty things to him. He thought maybe he should point it out but everyone was so angry with each other it might be better to keep quiet. It could be just like the strange tingly feeling he got when he was trying to find the switch that opened the door. It was strange, the way the end of his fingers had seemed to glow purple and he felt all warm inside.

He was a bit worried about his Dad. He had never seen his Dad panic like that; it looked like his Dad was trying to dig his way out with his hands. Normally he was all cool and knew what do to. In fact his Dad always knew what to do. And Tad had hit someone so hard they'd spun around and fallen backwards. He wondered if this was connected with what his Dad was trying to tell him just before the TARDIS appeared. Maybe this was about who his real Dad was and his Mum. He looked across at the horrible man working at the console. Was this why the man called him an abomination and his Tad had wanted to kill him? He felt a shiver of fear as he looked at the man pulling out wires.

"Please tell me he's not my Dad," Sean asked looking at the Doctor.

"NO, I am not. No Time Lord would ever consider diluting the pure genetics of our race with a member of the lower order of species," the Doctor hissed before Jack and Ianto could reply and the room shook.

"Lot of good it did you," Ianto retorted. "Because from where I'm sitting your race could have done with an injection of humility, along with a dose of compassion."

"Compassion...bah," the Doctor spat out. "Look where that got me stuck with him!" The Doctor indicated with his head towards Jack. "You and that Rose."

"Rose," Jack let out a wistful sigh. "There's a name I haven't heard in a long time."

"Bad influence that's what she was. What did my listening to her get me? I ended up with you. And while we're on the subject of bad decisions, why is your son wearing a 'Togon Justice' bracelet? Like father like son. Bad blood will out, following in his father's footsteps starting to follow you into a life of crime," the Doctor rattled on.

Sean took a closer look at the circle on his wrist. Then he looked at Jack. "What does he mean, Dad?"

"When I met your father he tried to sell me a Chula warship. Instead it turned out to be a Chula ambulance. It released nanogenes and nearly wiped out the Earth, every man, woman, and child. A scorched planet with nothing left but dust and all because a conman tried to sell me a piece of space junk."

"That was a long time ago. Several lifetimes ago. I was different then," Jack shouted at him and Sean looked confused at his Dad's words.

"Rose," the Doctor threw out the name in disgust. "I should have listened to my inner senses. Nothing but trouble the pair of you."

Sean interrupted. "My Dad would never do something like that to hurt people. He runs Torchwood and they help people, aliens who fall into to the Rift and get lost and end up in Cardiff. He looks after people." He looked up at Jack. "Tell him Dad; tell how you work for Torchwood and you help aliens that come through the Rift. You look after them. And when they are ready you help them start a life."

"Oh is that what he told you? So your father runs a nice alien refugee service, does he?" The Doctor looked across at Jack. "Now tell him the truth. Tell him about Torchwood 's number one rule: 'If it's Alien it's ours'. Explain what happened to the aliens who had the supreme misfortune to fall into their clutches. How they were kept prisoner, tortured, the experiments. How many innocent alien lives did Torchwood destroy?"

"That was Torchwood One," Ianto joined in. "Jack had nothing to do with them."

"Well you would know all about that wouldn't you?" the Doctor threw back at Ianto.

"I was not involved with any part of that," Ianto argued. "They paid the price for their stupidity and hubris. And some of us paid a higher price than others as well you know." Ianto glared at the Doctor.

"Tell him Jack, tell him what Torchwood actually does. How many aliens have you killed or incarcerated? How many lives you have destroyed?" the Doctor said and he took a sharp intake of breath. "In one hundred years, how many? Explain it to him!"

Jack closed his eyes then put his hand on Sean's arm and swallowed. "Torchwood Cardiff does help aliens that fall through the Rift. We attempt to find them new lives here. But there is an awful lot of life out there in the universe which is hostile, and then we have no choice. We have to keep people safe from whatever comes through the Rift. If it's not hostile we do help; otherwise, it's kill or be killed. Others we keep like Myfanwy; she fell through the Rift. Weevils, we only keep the rogue ones."

"What he said, it's not true is it?" Sean said.

"Torchwood One was evil. They did many cruel and unnecessary things. For a long time I was in no position to do anything. When I was I tried to distance myself, I tried to help. I've tried to make Torchwood something to be proud of. I've make mistakes in the past; terrible mistakes but I've tried to make things right," Jack said now standing and he pleaded openly in the Doctor's direction. "Why don't you believe I could change? I'm not that person you met all that time ago. I've atoned for my sins over and over as well you know. I've tried to lead Torchwood to where she is actively arming humanity for the future. We store and keep artefacts that fall through the Rift; not to use them but to keep them out of the hands of those who would use them to hurt others. We keep people safe; we're a power for good."

Ianto now stood next to him and placed his arm around Jack's waist. "Leave it, Jack. He doesn't care. He is a twisted bitter being who's closed his mind. Look what happened when we asked for help?"

"I resent that," the Doctor looked up. "I kept my end of the deal. I got all the right supplements, didn't I? He was born alive and kicking wasn't he?" He pointed towards Sean.

"Deal with whom?" Ianto asked. "We made no deal. You made it abundantly clear where you stood. You were prepared to see Sean die rather than help," Ianto said as his sense of outrage grew. "I remember how you came and arrogantly declared that you wouldn't lift a finger to save his life. Destroying our last hope."

"Never mind with whom. A deal was struck and I kept to my end of the deal to the very letter. No matter what my thoughts on the matter. I kept my end of the bargain."

Sean now joined his fathers and pulled as his Tad's hand. "Tad, I'm confused. If that man is not my Dad, but he came and I was born, why did you need him to come? Was there something wrong with me?"

Jack moved him away and put his arms around him. "You being here is a miracle, Sean, something your Tad and I never expected. A blessing beyond measure." Ianto now joined him and put his arm around them both. "Listen...Ianto and I are your Dads." Jack held him close.

"You keep saying that Dad, but how can you both be my Dads?" Sean intoned. "On my birth certificate it says Ianto is my Tad and then it has my mum's name."

"Oh this is going to be good," the Doctor interjected. "I can't wait to for him find out." 'He looked their way. "I'm not sure what is more amusing: the fact you never told him or his reaction when he finds out."

Jack shook his head. "This is hard enough. What happened is not unusual in the future as well you know."

Sean looked at his dad sharply. "You're from the future?"

"Oh this gets better and better," the Doctor said under his breath. "Did you have him checked? Did he inherit..." he was interrupted as another TARDIS quake hit.

"Yes, I'm from the future. I was a Time Agent. There is so much I need to tell you," Jack said.

"You are one hundred percent ours Sean," Ianto added, "but it's complicated. We never told you because we thought you having two dads was enough to deal with. And we wanted to give you something I certainly never had and Jack lost. We wanted you to be part of a family and have a normal life as it was possible to give you," Ianto added

"Ianto is your dad and I'm your…" the Doctor let out a whoop as the door opened and the room flooded with light, almost blinding them. The Doctor pointed towards the light. "Get out."

Jack moved turned and looked out. Jack placed his hand across his eyes to see better. Ianto moved away from Sean indicating he should remain where he was. "All we can see is nothing but empty, white space."

"Impossible," the Doctor snorted and looked at his instruments.

Ianto turned and looked about. "Where's Sean" he asked. Jack now turned.

"Where is he?" Jack shouted across the room. Ianto's eyes widened as he looked across at the Doctor. The Doctor backed up and found himself against to the wall, Ianto's hands around the lapels of his jacket. He had seen that look of rage before and be braced himself.

"What have you done with him?" Ianto screamed, spraying spittle into the Doctor's face.

"It wasn't me… I didn't.. I pulled the door mechanism…not me. He was there and then he was gone," he tried to say as Ianto shook him. Jack now joined him and together they pulled Doctor away from the wall.

"My son...what have you done with my son?" The Doctor gulped as he swore he saw a purple flash across Jack's eyes.

Together Jack and Ianto threw the Doctor at the console. The Doctor caught his midriff on the edge of the console. Jack came up behind him and pulled the Doctor's hands back to the instruments. "You redo what you did and you get him back," Jack said through gritted teeth.

Ianto now raced across to where Sean had been standing. He did a visual scan and then using his hands he tried to feel if there had been some kind of opening that had caused Sean's disappearance.

He found nothing. He was about to return to Jack who was manhandling the Doctor when Ianto found himself thrown across the room as another TARDIS quake hit. This time it did not stop.


	6. Chapter 6

His fingers flying over the console, the Master let out a whoop of joy as the TARDIS erupted in a massive convulsion. The eruption declared without equivocation that conversion had begun. It meant the process of transformation from the Doctor to the Master was now irrevocable. Nothing could stop it. Once completed the TARDIS would be his. She would be imbued with his sense of being, her very soul, her power his to command.

He didn't think it was possible. He had been told it was unattainable without the full technical support from the council on Gallifrey. He scoffed at the perceived requirements deemed necessary to convert a TARDIS. They had always underestimated his brilliance because he, the Master, had done it. "I am the Master," he cried out. "The Master of all things."

Pushing out with his mind the Master could sense her pulsating with joy. How they had worked for this moment. He recalled the second she had first touched his mind. No, not touched; stroked. Stroked away his anger at her betrayal in undoing all his work on the paradox machine. Apologies for not understanding his uniqueness. What followed were whispers of power, forgiveness and horror at his incarceration. She had come to him with a plan, a way free him and unleash his will on the Universe. Hiding, waiting, he was not a patient man but such a prize; the last TARDIS was too great an offer to resist. How they had wooed each other, she stroking his ego and desire for power and revenge. In turn he had reciprocated his understanding of her loneliness and rage at being turned into a mere vehicle. The Doctor had underestimated the damage he had done by his cruel imprisonment of her soul. To prove her sincerity she had offered to bring to his greatest nemesis here as a gift. How his heart had soared. The Doctor and Jack, it was too delicious an offer to refuse. He needed no further persuasion and the link was forged allowing his consciousness to slowly seep into the TARDIS matrix, building up into a now unstoppable force.

The TARIS reached out like a small puppy begging for attention.

"Yes, yes my darling you and I will be together soon. We will rule the Universe," he cooed.

"Once conversion is complete you and I are going to celebrate by playing a game with that that stupid boy." He laughed at the idea and felt her trill of excitement.

"A game. Just how much does he love them? What would he do to keep them safe? His very affection will become hostage to my will," he laughed out loud. Then a grin filled his face, 'yes, yes that would be most delicious." He threw back his head and laughed at the TARDIS's suggestion. "Let the games begin," he declared with an expectant glee and returned his attention the console.

The violent shaking seemed to go on and on. Jack, Ianto and the Doctor fought to remain standing but within moments they were all on the floor. Ianto reached out to grab Jack's hand when the room rocked sideways. They slammed into the console before they could react the the room tilted south and they hit the wall where the Doctor had entered.

The shaking had reached its zenith when they heard a crack. Their heads snapped around and saw the console fold into itself and sink into the floor. Its disappearance seemed to signal the next phase and the walls began closing in around them. Not just the side walls, the floor and ceiling began to approach each other forcing them into a smaller and tighter space.

"Do something!" Jack screamed at the Doctor as he and Ianto crawled their way over to where he was.

"I am doing something." The Doctor struggled to use his sonic screwdriver and to keep hold of the tool as the violent tremors continued.

The walls on their side touched their feet. Ianto cried out and twisted, moving his hips out of the way as the ceiling and floor wedged him. Laying on his stomach the Doctor frantically worked and an opening appeared in the wall. Jack pushed the Doctor to give him more speed. Jack followed and fell with a thump because the hole in the wall was higher than he was tall. Jack leapt up, grasping Ianto's hands and he pulled with all his might. Just as Ianto's feet left the room the opening disappeared with a snap and the shaking stopped.

Jack and Ianto hugged each other as they both tried to contain the fear they both felt. Several moments passed as they just held each other ensuring the other was safe.

The Doctor checked his screwdriver when a noise caught his attention. His eyes widened when the wall behind them jolted then moved with speed towards them. There was only one direction all three of them could go and they started to run.

At first the wall seemed to keep pace with them but then picked up speed. They ran, their lungs and legs burning, when they saw a junction ahead. They veered left, knocking into each other when the wall slammed behind them.

"What the hell is going on?" Ianto demanded as he got his breath back.

"Conversion," the Doctor said swallowing as he used his screwdriver to scan the wall.

"Conversa...what?" Jack struggled to speak. It was clear if they got out of this he would need to join Ianto on his daily run.

"Conversion. But it's impossible!" the Doctor told them.

"You keep saying that and you had better start explaining," Ianto insisted.

"It's impossible. You see, TARDISes are grown for an individual for the life of its occupant. Time Lords don't die they regenerate. Once a Time Lord reaches a point of no return the TARDIS dies along with the Time Lord. It folds in on itself and dies with them. However in rare and exceptional cases where a Time Lord no longer requires a TARDIS it coverts."

"I don't understand," Ianto said. "Converts to what?"

"It happens during regeneration, but in a smaller sense. When a Time Lord regenerates from one form to another the TARDIS aligns itself with the new personality. But what is happening is far more profound. The TARDIS is converting," the Doctor explained

"Reconfiguring?" Jack looked confused still gulping in air.

"It takes energy, more energy than is normally available from the TARDIS engine so a TARDIS begins by absorbing any redundant elements to fuel the transformation."

"Like old console rooms," Jack pointed out.

"Exactly. She is taking that energy and gathering what she needs to convert herself for use by a new occupant."

"The Master." Jack looked horrified as he understood the implications.

"Somehow he's found a way to corrupt her matrix, syphoning his mind into her. He is taking control. Once conversion is finished she will be his. He will control every aspect of her. She will become fully imbued not just with his personality but with his traits along with his madness." The Doctor looked at Jack.

"The TARDIS I knew would never willingly allow herself to be aligned with him, Jack argued.

"Once yes...but not since..." the Doctor looked away.

"What did you do?" Jack commanded.

"Nothing she didn't deserve. She rebelled; it was unthinkable," the Doctor snapped recalling his indignation.

"So you punished her. How?"

"It was part of our agreement!"

"That's the second time you mentioned some kind of deal. Was it with the TARDIS?" Ianto asked.

"Yes," the Doctor replied.

"It was for Sean's life wasn't it? That's why you came back. Not because you found some compassion but because she scarified herself for him," Ianto looked appalled.

"She offered the deal, I accepted. I kept my end of the deal one hundred percent," the Doctor trumpeted.

"So now there's a hostile takeover and you removed her will to resist," Jack said in disgust.

"I don't have to tell you that his being in control of the TARDIS would be a monumental disaster for every living being past present and future," the Doctor pointed out.

"We have to stop him," Jack said.

"Is that why we were brought here to stop him? Make us pay for her sacrifice?" Ianto asked as he nodded his agreement to Jack's statement that the Master had to be stopped.

"I still maintain your being here is impossible."

Ianto became infuriated as the Doctor ignored his question about the TARDIS. "So just how did we get here then? We didn't come here by choice. One moment the TARDIS tried to materialise next we were inside."

"'During the last moments when I had full control, I locked the TARDIS controls. Look it's simply impossible for her to go anywhere."

"You keep using that word," Ianto spat back.

"It's impossible," the Doctor pulled out a crystalline ball the size of a ping pong ball from his trouser pocket. "To materialise the TARDIS needs this," he showed it to them. "It's the drive. Without it she cannot go anywhere or to anywhen."

"So why did you open the doors and think we could just walk out?" Jack said through gritted teeth.

"I figured that maybe - and this a big maybe - that maybe there could have been some residue energy in the drive circuits that caused the TARDIS to materialise. If she had done so then she would have remained in the same place because it would be impossible for her to go anywhere else after that point."

"Hang on a moment. Then if the TARDIS can't go anywhere or when he's trapped along with us because you've got the equivalent of the start-up key," Ianto pointed out.

Holding out the ball the Doctor pushed his face into Ianto's. "Once she has converted he will get his own key."

Before Ianto could respond a movement caught their attention. Ianto pointed at the wall.

"Run!" Jack shouted.

Sean blinked. He was in a tiny confined space enclosing him on every side. His breathing quickened as he felt fear overwhelm him. One moment he had been standing by his Tad; next it was like the walls folded around him. He cried out, screamed and kicked. He called for his Dads hoping they could hear him. Sean reached up and tried to pound on the ceiling then kicked down on the floor below but to no avail. He used his hands to brace himself as the room shook and shook. How long it went on for he didn't know but long enough for him to start feeling sick as he was thrown in every possible direction and then some. It stopped, then started, then stopped again.

Between eruptions he took a moment to see where he was. The room was filled with a light which appeared to be coming from the walls themselves. He also noted the walls had the same circles as the console room.

At last the movement stopped and the room now began to vibrate with a gentle hum. He was sure it sounded a bit like a song. He strained to hear but nothing came to him. He let himself relax into the space as the hum gently soothed his worries. He had a thought; the space was more like an embrace than a prison. The walls were soft and cushioning him from whatever was going on outside. Now he had calmed down he actually felt safe. It was a kind of knowing like having a leg or an arm. He hoped his Dads were alright because whatever was going on felt dangerous.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt one walls give and he saw a crack appear forming an opening. He pushed stepped forward and found he was in a corridor.

"Tad, Dad I'm alright!" he called out now he was fully in the open. "Can you hear me? I'm in a corridor. I think I'm under the console room. I fell in a sort of hole."

He turned around to see where he had been. As he watched the small room began to meld back into the wall. A few moments passed and had he not seen it you would always think this was simply a wall. Reaching out Sean hesitantly touched the wall then laid his palm against the surface. It was all warm. He pulled his hand away and turning his hand over saw the palm of his hand was purple. He rubbed his fingers over his palm but the colour faded as he watched.

He called out again but there was no reply. He stood and thought through his options. Tad had always told him if he got lost to stay where he was and they would find him. But that was outside this place. Inside here, they might never find him. Firstly they had no idea where he was; he felt his stomach flutter. 'What should he do?' Sean asked himself.

Time passed and he looked around. Time to move. Sean looked down the corridor; there was only one direction he could go. He took a breath and then a step.

Walking down a seemingly endless corridor Sean finally came to a T-junction. He could go left, or right. He turned to look back the way he had come and was surprised to see a trail of his own footprints in purple all the way down the corridor. Looking down he saw more prints. He spent several moments stepping in and out making patterns with his feet. Tiring of this he now bent down to examine them more closely. Sean momentarily lost his balance and placed his hand on the ground to steady himself. Much to his surprise he left a hand print along side the footprints. He had a thought, standing he placed his hand on the wall to see if he could make a print.

He used his finger now to create an arrow pointing left along, with the number one. "This is junction one. If I come back here I will know I've been here before," he said out loud. Then he turned left. A few moments after he had left the light slowly dimmed along with the prints.

Sean came to another junction; this one offered the same right-left choice. He slumped against the wall. His feet ached and his legs were sore. As much as he liked maize mazes this maze was no fun.

Smiling to himself he recalled the fun he had during maize season with his Dads each summer. There was a maize maze about three hours' drive away. Sometimes they went on weekends during the day but when he was older they had gone in the dark. They maze always had a theme; once it was ghosts and ghouls and people dressed like zombies had jumped out at them. One year they had dinosaurs, a huge model T-Rex which came at them, all teeth and roar; it was hilarious. They hadn't gone this year...why? They always had such fun. Tad would always pretend he wasn't going to get scared then really scream. Dad would argue he knew how to navigate his way through but they always got lost. It was always up to Sean to rescue them both and find their way out. On their way home they talked about their adventure and stopped off for fish and chips. Dad always made him laugh because he would tease the seagulls with pretending he was throwing a chip.

He thought back and he felt his stomach twist. He remembered he had gotten into trouble and Dad had cancelled the trip. He recalled how he had shouted out that he didn't care because it was for stupid little kids. He cringed in remembrance; he had just been hurt because he couldn't go and now he had ruined it. Why did he have to say such stupid things? Now they would never go again.

Another fierce shaking started. It was not as bad as the time in the space but pretty nasty. He did what he had done the last couple of times and got onto the floor.

Once the juddering calmed down Sean stood and saw the corridor he had just travelled down was gone, now blocked by a wall. If this kept happening he would never get out. He had a closer look; this wall was different, there was a crack that went in diagonals between the circles. He traced the line with his finger leaving a purple line. He paused; this could be a door. If so it was the first door he had come across. He pushed it open.

Ianto ran, his lungs screaming for air. He had no idea where they were or where they were going; all he knew was they had to keep moving. Every time they stopped the TARDIS collapsed around them. There had been several narrow escapes, only managing to getaway just in time.

Jack's distress was broadcasting as flashes of the torture he had endured kept coming to the surface. It was a part of Jack he kept guarded from Ianto. Ianto knew it was there; he could sense the shape, colour, and sound but that was the surface. He had only caught a rare glimpse of the horrors it held within. Now they were here and it was all he could do to keep Jack mentally in the here and now.

The Doctor skidded to a halt and Jack collided with him, breathing heavily. Jack was pale and the terror on his face all too clear. The heard laughter followed by the voice. Ianto had come to hate this voice taunting them at every possible turn.

"Tired yet?" the voice intoned.

Ianto bit back the comment that sprung to his lips as he saw the corridor wall heading towards them.

Jack grabbed the Doctor. "Do something! We can't keep this up!" The Doctor looked around for something Ianto could not discern. Then using his sonic screwdriver he pointed it at the floor.

Before Ianto could cry out the floor collapsed from underneath them and he plunged downward into the darkness.

Entering the room Sean saw it was filled floor to ceiling with boxes stacked all over the place. There were racks and racks of clothes. So many boxes and clothes he had to push them out of the way to get in fully. He heaved one full rack out of the way and one of the outfits caught his eye and a huge grin crossed his face. These were not clothes; these were costumes. He recognised one immediately and he pulled the heavily embroidered red and jacket off the hanger and put it on. It was so big it reached the floor.

"Ha-ha I'm Captain Hook!" Sean turned and looked into one of the many full-length mirrors that appeared to be interspersed at intervals around the room. Something was missing...he needed a hat. He saw a feather sticking out one of the nearby boxes. Pulling the box open he pulled out the matching three-corner hat. He placed it on his head and looked into the mirror.

"Ha-Ha me hearties, where's me parrot?" Sean declared. Nope, still not right. He needed something else. He looked about and now he spied a swashbuckling sword hanging from another hanger in a belt. Drawing the sword he pointed it at the mirror bringing up his chin to look regal. "Take me to the treasure of the dead man's chest in Davy Jones' locker or I'll have your gizzards." The hat slipped over his eyes. He pulled it up and he felt his stomach roll over bringing him back to the reality of his situation.

He was hungry. He wondered if there was any food in this strange place. Maybe he should look for some. Shrugging off the coat he began to pull out all the hats from the boxes. There had to be something to eat in this strange room.


	7. Chapter 7

Screaming, his arms wind-milling, Jack fell into dark nothing. He could sense Ianto was close and was equally terrified. Momentarily he tried to right himself then realised he had no idea what was up or down.

He hit water. The shock forced his mouth open. Instinctively he kicked with his feet. His abused lungs cried out for air; this was the worst part of drowning where your body fought your mind. Just at the point when he thought he had no choice but to take a breath his head broke the surface. Sputtering and coughing he flailed around taking in great whoops of air. Jack's eyes adjusted as feeble sickly glow began fill the room. Corkscrewing he searched out Ianto to find himself wrapped in his arms. Treading water they each checked that neither had come to harm.

As the light increased they saw they were in the centre of a swimming pool as deep as it was long. Down the sides were rattan chairs, tables and potted palms. Exhausted they swum over to the edge, pulled themselves out and just lay for a moment to recover.

"Running...I used to do nothing but run. I had no idea I had gotten so unfit," Jack moaned. "I swear when we get out of this I am going start working out."

"You'll have to kick your donut habit," Ianto pointed out. Jack groaned and Ianto pulled him to standing. "And the crisps, pizza, junk food and the other rubbish you consume on a daily basis." Ianto placed one of his hands the right side of Jack's waist and squeezed a good hand full. "But if you want the truth I like you cuddly."

"Are you saying I've gotten fat?" Jack asked indignantly.

"You have to admit that your only exercise is walking to the SUV and lifting a pen."

The whine of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver interrupted before Jack could reply. A quick glance and they saw the Doctor on the far side of the room, scanning the walls.

"Oi Waiter!" Ianto shouted across the room. "I'll have a vodka martini, shaken not stirred and easy on the vermouth. Jack will have two shots of single malt Islay. And while you're at it bring us one of those cake platters filled with cream buns and don't hold back on the cucumber sandwiches."

"Hungry?" Jack pulled his shirt out of his pants and wrung out the bottom as best he could.

"I could eat a dolphin on toast with extra chips," Ianto admitted as they made their way around the pool to join the Doctor.

This time Sean actually heard his stomach turn over in a low gurgling rumble. He pulled out armfuls of colourful scarves and threw them down to join a host of shoes and all manner of oddments now surrounding the current box he was emptying. He straightened and stretched his back. What he wouldn't do for stack of his Tad's sandwiches followed by fighting Dad for the final donut.

He did a double-take then looked around just to check he was seeing what he was seeing. At chest height in the nearest indented circle was a long grey-covered bar. Moving closer he saw one in every circle at the same height circling the room. It looked like some kind of health bar and he wracked his brain trying to figure out why he not noticed this before. Maybe this was not food but just another odd object he had come across. 'Only one way to find out,' he told himself.

He tore the cover with his teeth, gave the contents a sniff followed by a tentative bite. It had a weird flavour he didn't recognise, sort of a mix of sweet and salty, and the texture soft and crunchy. It was not unpleasant just odd and he finished the first in three bites. Climbing over the boxes he moved down the wall. He stopped at each circle until he had eaten four. He belched and felt less light-headed. An inner voice told him to collect the remainder for later. 'Good idea,' he told himself and began to make his way along the wall.

It was hard work. So far he had reached two more bars but there were far more down this side of the wall. There were boxes and racks that lined the wall in no particular order blocking any movement forward. Heaving a box was followed by a clothes rack, followed by another box. He picked up an arm full of clothes from a pile on top of the next box and threw them behind him. It was like a second-hand shop gone mad; it even had that strange smell found only in junk shops. He tried to move forward when his foot collided with something solid. He drew his foot back and kicked; it sounded metallic. Pulling off more clothes he saw it was some kind of machine.

"Wow," Sean said out load and fell onto his knees. It was a dog, a mechanical dog. Sean ran his hands over it with appreciation. It was black and looked a bit battered. Its ears looked like old-fashioned gramophone speakers and were made of brass. Where its eyes should be was brass wire mesh. Copper tubes ran from the top of the body to the head. On its back were two strange protrusions which looked like valves. The mouth was a tube which just stuck out. From the segmentation of the neck its head could clearly move. "K9," Sean read the lettering on the top out loud.

Lifting up the side panel closest to him Sean saw the brass clock workings. He carefully examined the mechanism and traced the cogs with his fingers. It was bit dusty and looked like it could do with some oil. None of the cogs appeared to be broken and it all looked in working order. The cogs indicated this was clockwork which meant it needed to be wound up.

He examined the outside again but he couldn't see any external winder, so it had to be inside the contraption. Lifting the side panel he looked for a way to remove the cover. He could make out four brass screws holding the cover firmly in place. He stood and rubbed his sore knees.

Striding into the centre of the room, he looked through a utilities box he had found earlier. He hadn't paid it much attention because a quick glance had shown there was no food in it but as he thought back it could be a tool box.

The large substantial box was filled with all sorts of odd looking gadgets. He reached down and pulled out each in turn. Most of the bits and pieces looked like parts of some kind, some clearly damaged. Others had no kind of logic to them at all. None of them looked like any tool he could discern.

He looked back at K9. He so wanted to get it working; all he needed was a screwdriver. Time for action. Placing both hands firmly on the box he shook it to see if anything useful came to the surface.

Sean looked down and saw a length. This was more like it. He weighed it in his hands and its size it reminded him of his Dad's screwdriver, which where you could change the end bits for different types of screws. This object was about twenty-one centimetres long and heavy like it was an early prototype before everything became super-modern. One end was a clear jewel being held with what looked like gold clasps, a bit like a gangster's ring. At the other was a solid brass or copper ring which suggested it could clip onto a belt. Running his eyes down its length he noted a row of narrow protrusions. He ran his thumb over them and he felt the object vibrate then shoot out a red light. He leapt back as the scarves draped across the box opposite flew up into the air then fluttered back down.

Sean looked down at the object in his hand with more respect. Lifting and pointing it away from himself he pressed the first button.

"It's a pot of tea you ignoramus," the Doctor said as Jack and Ianto joined him.

"I know," Ianto snapped back. "But considering I thought I was living my final moments, I felt Jack and I could both do with something a lot stronger than a cup of tea."

Ignoring Ianto, the Doctor continued to use his sonic screwdriver to scan the wall. He let out a cry of triumph as the wall became an opening and he strode through.

Stepping down several steps it was clear to both Jack and Ianto that this was a control room but it was in complete contrast to the control room that had folded away with such drama.

The central column was on a raised platform. Circling the platform were tube-metal barriers which could be either grabbed hold of or leant into. The walls were dark green. The most startling difference was the console itself, which was more like a hexagonal cabinet complete with roll-down covers.

Several long moments passed as they watched the Doctor work.

"Have you any idea what you are doing?" Ianto asked.

"This is the secondary control room," the Doctor said, flipping open one of the panels and continuing to use his screwdriver. "The advantage is it's a permanent structure so we're safe here."

"Need I remind you Sean is still lost or had been taken somewhere in the TARDIS?" Jack reminded the Doctor.

"We need to find him and bring him here," Ianto added. "Any suggestions, ideas…"

"Stop asking me infernal questions," the Doctor threw back as both Ianto and Jack glared at him.

A strange truce settled on the group. The Doctor worked on the console and Jack and Ianto moved as far away from the Doctor as they could. Reaching out they clung to each other.

"Look, we've been here hours. Is that it? The grand Doctor is now in his panic room? My son is out there, lost or taken. We've been chased for hours. Tell me you have some kind of plan!" Ianto strode over to the Doctor.

"Has anyone ever told you, you are the most annoying man in history? All you've done is be sarcastic and rude."

"That's rich coming from you."

"Stop bothering me and go stand over there," the Doctor said, pointing with his screwdriver to the corner of the room

Jack now joined him. "At least tell us your plan, maybe we could help. Sean means nothing to you. You have made that clear. But he is everything to us."

Another panel flew open and the Doctor he continued as before.

"Leave it Jack; he's so arrogant he can't begin to imagine we could help."

"I thought you were meant to be a force for good in this universe?" Ianto added after several long moments has passed.

"And you wouldn't help and allowed another being to wear on your conscience because you, the almighty Doctor, was not true to his name. Do you know what a Doctor is? A Doctor is someone who heals people. Finds out what's wrong and attempts to make things right."

"Leave it, Ianto. He's blind to the truth. He's dead inside." Jack pointed out.

"I've had enough Jack. I'm sick with worry. Sean is out there and we're in here. What are you doing?"

The Doctor turned his back on them and continued to work at the controls on the console. Ignoring their presence he walked around and pressed on a panel on the other side. He looked at the screen then at Jack and Ianto, then using his screwdriver pointed it at them. He looked at the screen, furrowed his brow then scanned them again. He flicked a few switches.

His eyebrows flew up his forehead. "Are you two aware you have some kind energy linking you together?" The Doctor stared at them.

"What has that got to do with anything?" Jack asked.

"It's not something we understand but it's been there from the moment Jack and I met. It's more of an empathic link. But it's more that than and frankly it's none of your business."

The Doctor scanned them again. "It's fundamental particle energy of some kind. It's flowing through and around you…" he stopped and looked again, then down at his instrument. "It can't be..." He leaned back in shock. "Its fundamental," the Doctor said under his breath.

"Fundamental to what?" Ianto asked.

"The energy forming your bond, it's something I've heard about in a myth." He looked at them. "It can't be..."

"Can't be what?" Jack asked, now equally confused.

"Can't be," the Doctor replied. "It's inconceivable."

"Inconceivable… fundamental," Ianto repeated the words shaking his head.

"What do you know of the Higgs boson particle?" the Doctor asked suddenly.

"A theoretical particle that some consider the God Particle. The hypothesis is that it is one of the first building blocks of everything," Ianto replied. 'However major experiments using the Large Hadron Collider at CERN have failed to prove it exists or not. Although the math involved is elegantly beautiful."

"The Time Lords called it the 'fundamental paradigm'. A whole science was built up to prove or disprove its existence; it was argued that if it existed it would have certain properties and the signatures would be unmistakable."

"So what?" Jack interrupted.

"It's a creation particle, fundamental to the creation of everything particle. Finding it has been argued would prove the existence of an intelligent creator," the Doctor added as Ianto rolled his eyes.

"I don't believe in God," Ianto snorted.

"Oh you should because you two are filled with and connected by these fundamental particles. As powerful as the energy is connecting the two of you there is a third source on this vessel."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ianto pointed out.

"The energy going through you is channelled through the both of you in a loop. The other has no such barrier and it's flooding the TARDIS with energy."

"This is the most bizarre conversation I have ever had. Jack and I have an empathic bond. It's just me and Jack. How can there be a third? We would both feel it if there was."

"I tell there is a third source. Here on this TARDIS."

"You said this fundamental paradigm particle is theoretical," Ianto pointed out.

"Apparently it's not as theoretical as it was supposed to be," the Doctor snapped back.

"It had a name, they gave it a name," Jack struggled to remember, ignoring the Doctor's remark. "Universal imperative," he said a little louder than he intended as he remembered.

"Remember it was after I got back from the reality that worked out how to get me back. The Ianto there was with Aaron. I recall they told me the bond was about the universe putting something to rights. He and Ianto both sensed it was a pre-ordained gift, a soul bond."

"You're right you told me they called the bond 'Universal imperative,' " Ianto repeated and nodded

"Universal imperative," The Doctor repeated.

"Yeah," Jack said. "Universal imperative."

Ianto took hold of the Doctor's lapels. "Now use it to find my son," he snarled.

Sean pointed the tool towards the first screw and held down the first and third bottom. To his relief the screw started to undo. He let out the breath he had been holding as the last screw clattered onto the floor. Lifting the lid he immediately saw a series of large buttons: green, gold, and red.

"Never press red," he told himself. Red is always a warning. "So that leaves green and gold," he reasoned.

He pressed the green button. Nothing happened. He pressed the gold button. Nothing happened. He had a think maybe the sequence was gold followed by green. He pressed the gold and was immediately rewarded as a series of clicks and whirls. Just as suddenly it stopped. Now he pressed the green button. Its ears moved, rotating left and then right, and then it started to nod its head, and turned to face Sean. "I found you on the floor; I fixed you."

"I have been inactive, Master. I am now fully functional to remain so you need to replace my cover."

"Oh okay." Sean went onto his knees and replaced the cover, securing it with the screws.

"Where am I Master?"

"I'm not your Master, I just found you on the floor. This place is like a storeroom. I figured someone must have put you in here."

"You are my Master," K9 declared.

"I don't think so. I never had a dog; a real one, and when I found you I thought you were so cool."

"You are my Master."

"I just found you and got you going again."

"Where am I, Master?"

"We are in something called the TARDIS. It's a time machine. I've lost my Dads. We were all together in the central control room. Then this horrible shaking started and we got separated. I was wandering around for hours when I found this room. It's full of costumes and boxes of old stuff. I thought this must be some kind of storage room. I think that's why you're here because maybe you got broken or you weren't needed any more or maybe you got lost like me and ended up here." Sean had a sudden though "There is a horrible man on-board called the Master. Is he your Master?"

"No, you are my Master, Master," K9 clicked and whirled.

"I think we are going to have to agree to disagree at least until we find your real Master."

"No need; you are my real Master, Master,"

"How long will you stay wound up?" Sean asked changing the subject.

"Several days, Master. I am now fully operational."

"I am glad to hear that. I was a bit worried I might have upset your mechanism while I was examining you. You look too fancy to be a toy so what are you K9?" Sean asked.

I was created as a companion for an exploring officer of the Greater Galactic Empire. My data banks hold significant sections of the ' Encyclopaedia Galactica'* in relation to my role. I can also be used to scan, analyse data, and record information."

Sean had a think. "Okay here is your first challenge. When I walk I leave footprints and it also happens when I touch the walls, I leave behind purple marks. Does the floor and walls have some kind of sensors in them?"

K9 moved about a half a meter. Sean wondered what K9 was up to when a thin beam of intense light from the tube where K9's mouth was first scanned the floor then scanned Sean. K9 whirled, clicked and its ears flicked back and forward.

"No, Master, your hypothesis is incorrect. The floor is reacting to energy within you. The floor is absorbing that energy into the surrounding structure."

Sean thought for a moment. "Well humans do have an electrical energy, but why would the TARDIS want to absorb that?"

'Unknown, Master."

"Here is your second challenge: I need to find my way out, but I can't find the door."

"This way, Master." K9 turned and moved across the room.

Sean tugged on the clothing rail with all his might. He stood up and kicked the nearest box within reach. This was impossible; there was so much in the way. He pulled on the box top. "Junk, just bloody junk. Why anyone would keep so much junk?" he shouted and pulled out the first thing that his hand touched to demonstrate his point.

Silently he turned the hat over his hand. It was a brown top hat. He now took a closer look at the rail of clothing he had been trying to move.

"This is so rad. I wish Chas was here he loves this sort of stuff. It's called Steampunk. He's got books and books on it. It's like Victorian which is about two hundred years ago when there was steam engines. Everything is all brass, copper, black and clockwork." He started to go through the clothes on the rack. "Bit like you." Sean looked down at K9 who for some reason he couldn't fathom was looking very pleased with itself.

"Well if you are a companion then I had better be the gentlemen explorer."

About twenty minutes later Sean admired himself in one of the many full-length mirrors in the room.

He was wearing the brown top hat he had found, complete with goggles which sat on the rim. A white shirt open at the neck complemented by a light brown waistcoat and a brown tie, loosely tied. Field trousers with a thick belt which he had clipped the tool he had found earlier. To complete the outfit he had found sturdy boots. Something was missing. He looked through the box where he found the hat and pulled out a long leather document holder with a strap. As he moved it he felt like there was something inside.

He pulled the top off and tipped it up. A pocket watch and chain fell into his hand. Awed at the fine engravings on the cover he turned it over in his hand. Flicking it open he saw the face was covered with seemingly hundreds of small dials.

"What is this?" Sean showed it to K9.

"That is a universal cronamatagram. A most useful object, Master."

"A universal cronamatagram," Sean repeated as he examined the clock face.

"It's most basic function is to tell the year, date and time anywhere in the known universe."

Intrigued by K9's reply but realising they needed to move; Sean placed the watch carefully in the front pocket of his waistcoat and ensured the watch chain was in place.

Closing the lid of the leather holder he placed it over his shoulder, making sure it fitted comfortably.

"Right K9, let's escape the land of utter junk and go forth… "He pulled the rack out of the way, "and find my Dads."

"This way, Master," K9 encouraged.

A cruel, spiteful laugher filled the room, echoing off the walls.

"Well, well, well...the bore, the freak and the soon-to-be deposed Doctor. Hiding away in your little safe room. It's almost time; I can feel the power growing in me with every passing minute. It is too delicious and I think it's about time all the players are present to witness my ascent of power. Let me do a deal with you dear Jack. There's someone here I think you should meet. Sean, come and say a few words."

"Tad, Dad I'm alright!" They heard Sean's voice fill the room. Jack looked at Ianto as their worst fears were realised.

"Bring me the Doctor and I will give you your son."

Before the Doctor could respond Jack pushed Ianto aside. Taking hold of the Doctor's lapels he pushed him up against the wall of the console room.

"Now the games are over," Jack hissed and he pulled a small hidden weapon and placed it on the Doctor's forehead and he forced the Doctor on his knees.

Jack flipped a switch. "You harm him and I will tear you limb from limb. Your suffering will have no end."

"Don't be so melodramatic Jack. Bring me the Doctor and I promise I will not hurt a hair on his head."

"Move," Jack demanded and he jerked the Doctor to his feet.

*Encyclopaedia Galactica and Greater Empire from the Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning Permanent Character Death

"Move!" Jack pushed the Doctor towards the entrance.

"Wait," Ianto stepped out in front of Jack and placed his hand on his chest. "How do you know he has Sean?"

"You heard him." Jack looked directly at him; colour in his eyes reflecting the waves of distress Ianto could feel rolling off of Jack, mixed with terrible images of Sean being tortured.

"I heard Sean speak but that doesn't mean that's him. Think about it Jack; the Master could have mixed together words and produced a single sentence. That might be all he has."

Ianto flipped microphone switch. "Let me speak to Sean. You either have him or you don't. If you don't let me speak to him I will take that as proof that that was not Sean who spoke." Silence followed. Ianto raised his eyebrows at Jack who nodded. "Both Jack and I are willing to hand over the Doctor. I don't want a long conversation I just want to ask him a single question."

"What, Tad?" they heard Sean's voice after a short delay.

Jack tightened his grip on the Doctor as Ianto spoke. "Do you remember that day in the warehouse when Dad and I let off the firework? We had a lot of fun, yeah?"

The voice answered without hesitation, "Yes we did."

"Now you've had your single question bring me the Doctor."

"We're on our way." Ianto snapped the microphone off. "He doesn't have him." Jack nodded in agreement at Ianto's statement.

"How can you be so sure?" the Doctor asked as he now pushed off Jack's hands with a furious flurry.

"The firework in question was alien emergency flare. It was let off in a warehouse but neither Jack nor I were there. We're pretty sure that Sean and his best friend were cornered by a group of thugs. The warehouse was burnt to the ground. Sean was terrified and so far he has refused to tell anyone about what actually happened."

"Why ask Sean such an open ended question?" the Doctor queried as he corrected his tie.

"I want the Master to think we believe him." Ianto narrowed his eyes at the Doctor. "Don't think for moment the dynamics of this situation has changed. I will hand you over in a heartbeat if it will keep Sean safe."

"Now we need to come up with a plan." Jack glared at the Doctor.

"There's only one thing that can change what you call the dynamics of this situation," the Doctor told them as he got out his sonic screwdriver. "I have to force the Master into regeneration."

Sean let out a sigh as they neared another junction. He was tired and his feet hurt. "Are you sure you know where we are going, K9? We've been walking for hours. No matter how far we walk all we seem to come across are white corridors, which turn into more white corridors."

"Yes, Master. It was important that we took a path that was more circumspect than a direct route."

Sean stopped. "Are you telling me we came the long way around?"

"Affirmative, Master."

"But why?" Sean asked in exasperation.

"You did not stipulate which route you wished to take."

"Well I'm asking you now to take me the quickest way because I want to get there like now."

"No need, Master. We are here."

Sean looked left then right and saw an orange glow which appeared to indicate an opening about ten meters down the right corridor. "Good, I really need to see my Dads and make sure they are alright." He swallowed and looked embarrassed. "And there's a few things I need to say about how stupid I've been." Sean stepped out.

"Warning, Master, you must proceed with extreme caution."

Sean turned back when he saw K9 was not following. "Do you need winding?" Sean bent down to check K9 was in working order.

"Negative, Master. This is a far as I can go."

"I'm the exploring officer and you are my companion," he said stroking the dog's head.

"This is correct Master, but I have been instructed to go no further."

"Who instructed you?" Sean asked curiously.

"When I came back into full function, there were three instructions awaiting my attention: you were my Master; to lead you here I was to take the route we have just taken unless otherwise stipulated; and once we had reached this point I was to go no further."

"That doesn't make sense. I never knew you existed until I found you. You've been inactive a long time so maybe it's because I wound you up?" Sean argued.

"Negative Master; your description was most clear."

"Well, I want you to stay with me so I instruct you to follow," Sean commanded.

"This unit has specific instructions not to enter the console room; it will lead to my permanent deletion."

Sean looked worried. "What do you mean? I know I'm in danger, the Doctor's not very nice and I think the man who calls himself the Master really hurt my Dad, but you're mechanical."

"Affirmative Master; that is the danger."

"You are in danger because you are mechanical."

"Affirmative Master. But you can override that instruction if you command."

Sean gently patted K9's head. "K9, I instruct that you to find somewhere safe. You are only to follow once you won't he hurt."

"Recommendation Master: considering the nature of my own deletion you have two other objects that also need protection." The back of K9 slid back to reveal a special compartment.

"Can you tell me what the danger is?"

"Negative Master. I have extrapolated that if the nature of who I am is in danger than anything of the same would also be in peril of destruction."

Not fully understanding but trusting K9's argument Sean removed the watch and unclipped the tool from his belt and put them into the compartment.

"Good dog." K9's tail waggled side to side as the compartment slid back into place.

"Good luck Master."

"Thank you, K9. You've been the best companion an exploring officer could ever have."

Standing now Sean turned and headed towards the yellow light he saw streaming from the opening ahead.

His back to the wall Sean cautiously peered around the corner into the room. It was another console room, but it was strikingly different from anything else he had encountered so far on the TARDIS. Gone were the stark clean lines. There were buttresses of coral that held up the curved ceiling. The console was a flattened globe, glowing green. Its central column went upwards and appeared to meld into the ceiling. He pulled back and took a breath, then looked again. He couldn't see his Dads or the Doctor; just some blond-haired man. 'He must be the Master,' he reasoned.

Pulling back he saw K9 had moved. He went over what he had told him, how entering here could be dangerous for anything mechanical. None of this made any sense. He was about to move when he heard his name being called.

"Sean, Sean is that you?" Sean cursed. He could have sworn he hadn't been seen. Taking a breath he turned and entered the room to see the blond-haired man standing, his arms outstretched. "Sean, my son. I have found you at last," the Master declared.

Sean hesitated, not sure how to react. Of all the things he was expecting after what the Doctor had said and his Dads' fear this strange man claiming to be is father was not it.

Sean looked around trying to gauge if it was safe.

"Come you are in no danger here."

Sean tried to back away but the man moved quickly, pulling him fully into the room then embracing him. "Is this how you greet your long lost father?" the Master admonished.

The Master gave Sean a light hug, ignoring the fact that Sean remained stiff in his arms. "At last, after so many years of longing I finally have you in my arms."

The Master took both of Sean's hands. "Your dear sweet departed mother would be so proud."

"You're my Dad and you know my Mum?" Sean asked as if this was the strangest notion in the entire universe. He knew there was a mystery about who his parents were, but he was sure one of his Dads was his dad; in fact he had come to the conclusion it was his Tad. But then again he did have his Dad's smile...he shook his head to clear his thinking.

"Yes, you were ripped from your dear mother's arms as punishment because I stood against the Doctor. She died of a broken heart because her beloved and desperately wanted son was torn from her bosom, taken and given away while I was imprisoned here. Such was the fate of those who stood against the Doctor and his loyal henchmen."

"So you're my Dad?" Sean questioned, speaking slowly as tried to make sense of what he was being told. "And your wife was my mother?"

"Yes, Sean. I tried to bring order to the chaos that was the Earth; I wanted to bring light, love, progress, civilisation to the world. We wanted to share it all with you, but it was not to be."

"Don't believe a word he says, Sean." Sean heard his Dad's voice. He and the Master turned to see Jack and Ianto standing either side of the Doctor who had his hands behind his back as if tied. Sean's heart leapt and he felt dizzy with relief; his Dads were okay. He went to move towards them but the Master placed his hand on Sean's chin and forced him to look back at him.

"Your dear mother, my beloved wife Lucy, would have been so proud of how you've grown."

"Sean, he is not your father and his wife, Lucy Saxon, was not your mother," Jack told him clearly.

"Sean, these are the people who stole you from me. You have the blood of the Time Lords flowing through you. Just close your eyes and feel our connection."

Sean felt daft but closed his eyes. He didn't believe this being one bit but an inner feeling told him he should obey. As he closed his eyes he was flooded with memories and a warm glow grew in his chest as each one came to the fore. Here was his Tad and Dad holding him, calling him perfect. He was so tiny; had he ever been that small? Him on his Dad's chest as he was rocked to sleep now the image merged too Tad reading him a story while he was tucked up in bed.

Then he saw himself between them, each of his hands in theirs as they swung him so he felt like he could fly. Dad teaching him how to swim, then playing sharks; he smiled as his Dad chased him through the water, Tad joining in and they had a mighty splash competition. All three of them snuggling up on the sofa watching a film they had seen a dozen times before. Sitting in the back of his Dad's shop after school, drinking the best cup of hot chocolate in the world while he shared his day.

Now he saw his Tad clapping and cheering loudly as Dad filmed him during sports days, plays, open days...there were so many as the images cascaded through his mind. Laughter, jokes, so many lame jokes and they had laughed every time… And then the memories changed. He saw their look of disappointment when he had been arrested. The hurt in their eyes when he had screamed how much he hated them. How they had wrapped their arms around him at the police station knowing he was lying and then standing with him in front of the judge He opened his eyes and looked at them.

"I understand. I didn't before but I do now," Sean said his voice choking.

"Of course you do! Come here." The Master held out his hands.

Sean looked at his Dads and he took a breath and began to speak.

"I've been looking for my Mum. It all started with this stupid school project. We had to do a family tree. Everyone else laid out theirs and they had a Mum and Dad. I don't mean I mind having two Dads, Chas only has his Mum and his sister and another person I know has two Mums. What I mean is I had a Mum who gave birth to me. What was her name? What did she look like? Why didn't she want me? I've been twisted up inside thinking that maybe she didn't want me because there was something wrong with me. I really wanted to know but standing here I realised that it doesn't matter because I know who my real parents are. My Dads love me even though I have done some really stupid things and ruined everything. So even if you are my real Dad I choose them."

As the last words left Sean's lips he saw that a thunderous look had grown on the Master's face as he realised his ploy had failed. "Your declaration will make what happens next so much more satisfying." The Master raised his arm, holding out his sonic screwdriver. "Now choose which one dies."

Sean turned to see the Master aim towards his Dads who had now moved within arm's reach of him. "Which one? The freak?" The Master aimed at Jack. "Or the bore?" He aimed at Ianto.

"You can't ask me to choose which ones of my Dads dies," Sean burst out in disbelief.

"I was hoping you would say that," the Master sneered and aimed at Sean.

Ianto saw the Master aim at Sean. He cried out as he heard the shriek of the blast leave the Master's sonic screwdriver. Ianto threw himself forward and the blast caught him full in the chest. Staggering, he clutched his chest as the impact ripped his ribs apart. Unable to make a sound Ianto fell back into oblivion.

"This ends now," the Doctor stated as Jack let out an inhuman scream and fell to the floor.

"It's too late," the Master crowed, his face shining with glory. "These last few moments of distraction were all I needed. The transfer is almost complete."

The Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver. "I never wanted this to end this way. I wanted us to find a way forward. You and I are the last of our kind. But you leave me with no choice." The Doctor activated his screwdriver. His face fell as nothing happened. He looked down in panic, checked the settings, and fired again.

"I am the Master here." The Master now raised his screwdriver as the Doctor fumbled with his weapon. "I wish I could say it's been great knowing you," he fired. When nothing happened he shook his screwdriver in disbelief. He was about to try again when he realised he felt empty. He pushed out but there was no connection. The TARDIS was now gone from his mind. "I don't understand!" the Master threw switches on the panel. "You are mine! You will obey my will!" he thundered. He looked up to see the look of triumph on the Doctor's face.

"As if MY TARDIS would align herself to you." The Doctor now flicked switches on his side. His face fell; something was wrong, the presence that was the TARDIS, that remanet that was her essence was gone from his mind. He saw movement as the Master, enraged, threw himself at him causing him to fly backwards towards the wall.

Sean buried his face into his Tad's shoulder, sobbing and screaming. His Tad never knew how much he loved him; his last thoughts were that Sean hated him. The words he had screamed at him, at the Hub, haunted him. His Tad, who loved him so much, was gone. How could he live? How could he continue without his Tad by his side?

Jack fell towards the abyss of hell. His mind was shredding, the whole of his being emptied of all purpose. The bond, that beautiful link, was now breaking apart. He could feel each thread as it broke, a sharp white-hot needle that thrust into his heart with every parting. Down he fell, down, towards life without the man who had made him whole.

Caught in their respective grief Sean and Jack were blind as a vortex centred on the console exploded then began to move outwards, gaining in strength with every moment. It seemed alive as it increased in size causing everything within its grasp to pulse then erode into fragments. Within a blink it filled the room with the screaming cadence of an animalistic roar. It pulsated until it consumed all light. In ever more powerful pulses the vortex engulfed first the console then outward, causing every object it touched to explode into millions of particles racing upwards and forward until nothing remained.

Just as suddenly as it begun it ended. Light returned, along with a background hum that suggested aliveness. The roar was replaced with the pleas of a lost child begging for forgiveness.

Falling, lost, numb, Jack felt a gentle touch in his mind. He railed at the cruelty because he knew its familiarity was gone forever, but it was enough and he heard Sean. Taking a breath he found it possible to move. Sean could not lose them both. Sean needed him, he had to be strong and he opened his eyes.

Ianto took a massive breath and sat bolt upright. "That hurt," Ianto cried out, rubbing his chest he checked see if there was any damage

Sean his eyes wide, was staring at him in disbelief, pale as the floor. Jack looked like…. Opening his mouth to speak he found both Jack and Sean wrapping their arms around him with such force they caused him to fall backwards.

"What?" Ianto said as both Sean and Jack clung to him.

"You were dead, Tad! Really dead! He tried to kill me but you stepped in the way," Sean said between breaths.

"I'm okay. I'm here," Ianto soothed.

"Forgive me, Tad. I've been so stupid. I've done such stupid things and I love you so much," Sean rattled out as tears soaked into Ianto's chest.

Reaching out to Jack, Ianto felt the same shock, horror and grief in Jack. He pushed out assuring Jack that he was here.

Ianto tried to sit up but the weight of Sean and Jack meant he was pinned.

"Forgive me," Sean said.

"Sean, I love you. Nothing you've done is unforgiveable."

"I ruined everything," Sean broke down again. Several moments passed as emotional chaos reigned. Sean sobbed and Jack clung to Ianto unable to make a sound. He pushed out and saw that the link was now reforming as each strand returned back into place. Ianto used every ounce of empathic power of love to assured him he was okay.

Sean pulled back and used his hands to check over his over his Tad, pulling at his clothes to make sure.

"It's okay Sean. I'm okay." Ianto took Sean's hands into his to stop him.

"But I saw him, he fired at you and you fell backwards and I thought you were gone, " Sean continued and Ianto looked at Jack.

"I think I need to stand up," Ianto suggested and both Jack and Sean pulled him to standing.

Jack and Sean now pulled at Ianto's clothing with frantic need to confirm that Ianto was unhurt.

"Stop!" Ianto commanded. "I'm alive."

Jack grabbed both his hands. "Feel it!" And he saw Ianto's face crease with horror as the effects of the strands of the bond disintegrating and Jack descent into hell hit him.

"But how?" he managed to say as Jack and Sean now wrapped themselves around him again.

Moments passed as they reconnected themselves to each other. Ianto lifted his head to see a strange sight coming towards them. It was a strange mechanical dog.

"Conversion completed, Master." It stopped by Sean, waggling its ears followed by its tail.

"K9, you're safe," Sean declared, pulling away to check that the dog had come to no harm.

Ianto looked from the dog to Jack then he widened his gaze and looked around the room.

Gone were the coral struts and organic feel, replaced with a control room that was on two levels with an industrial theme. Steel steps led up a level to a walkway that went around the entire room. To reach this walkway two sets of steps let up on either side. Shelves filled with books lined the walls. Interspersed on this level were alcoves with comfortable chairs and small tables with reading lamps.

The floor, which held the console, was a geometric-patterned mesh. The struts holding the ceiling were copper and steel. The console was still six-sided but its entire nature had been remade. It was a mix of deep brown edged with copper, dials, knobs, sliders, and looked like it came from the Age of Steam. Ianto tried to think where he had seen something similar when it came to him: the train at the end of 'Back to the Future Three'. This whole room was a Jules Verne version of the TARDIS complete with library and overstuffed sofas.

"Have we been transported to a different part of the TARDIS?" Ianto asked as Jack also looked around equally puzzled.

"Negative, conversion is completed," K9 said as he slid his back open and Sean took out the sonic screwdriver and watch.

"K9, these are my Dads," Sean introduced them. "I found K9 in this huge store room. I got him going with this. He's clockwork; he just needed winding." Jack took the tool and examined it as Sean continued. "I used it to remove the screws on his cover so I could find the winding mechanism. It took me a while to figure out how to work it. I kept making things fly about; it was strange, fun and scary all at the same time."

"This is a sonic screwdriver," Jack said, handing Sean back the tool.

"And your dressed differently," Ianto pointed out Sean's outfit noticing it for the first time.

"Master is the Explorer and I am his Companion," K9 announced.

"Your Master is Sean and you are the Explorer," Jack repeated and saw K9 wag its tail.

"K9 it's a bit fancy to be a toy," Jack said thinking out loud.

"K9's not a toy. He can do scans and has a lot of information in his data banks," Sean explained.

Ianto suddenly looked around. Sensing Ianto's thoughts Jack began search the room as well. "Where have they gone?" Jack asked racing to the entrance and looking both ways down the corridor.

"The Master was here," Ianto said walking to where the Master had stood. "What happened Jack, after the Master fired?"

Jack shook his head as he struggled to recall.

"Where are they? Ianto repeated and one of the screens on the console came to life. Startled momentarily by this development they crowded in as the screen filled with the image of a large sun. The image moved in and they saw a tiny black spot. The image enlarged again; now they spotted what looked like a triangular section of the TARDIS tumbling downwards toward the same sun. Suddenly the screen filled with several flares of orange light so bright it caused them to cover their eyes. As the final flare faded and their vision returned the image pulled out until there was nothing but blackness.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack, Ianto, and Sean watched as the screen filled with the image of a large sun. The image moved in and they saw a tiny black spot. The image enlarged again; now the spot looked like a triangular section of the TARDIS tumbling downwards. Suddenly the screen filled with several flares of orange light so bright it caused them to cover their eyes. As the final flare faded and their vision returned the image pulled out until there was nothing but blackness.

The silence that followed the played scene was almost unbearable.

"This can't be right," Ianto broke the silence as he struggled to order his thoughts. "They are on board here on the TARDIS. They have to be. Tell me they are still on board?"

"Negative, there are only three life signs on board, all centred around this console," K9 responded. A wave of dizziness caused Ianto to place both hands on the console.

"I was dead, Sean is the Explorer, the dog is his companion and conversion is complete. The Doctor and the Master, "the words tumbled out as he shook his head. "I was dead, but now I'm not, but they are." Ianto's knees gave out and he found Jack's arms round his waist.

Reaching the sofa against the back wall Ianto sat down heavily and placed his head between his knees. Jack and Sean sat on either side of him as Ianto tried to control his breathing. He glanced up and saw Sean, who was looking shell-shocked, and he could feel Jack was trembling.

"I need to get my head round this but I can't concentrate. I know this is going to sound really crass but I'm starving. I think I could cope a lot better if we all have something to eat, "Ianto pointed out.

"I found these." Sean stood and pulled off the document holder, removed the top and tipped it up. Several grey bars fell into Ianto's lap.

"They've got a strange taste but okay," he said as Ianto used his teeth to rip off the top of one. After taking a cautious sniff he took a bite. Jack and Sean joined him.

"Where did you find these?" Ianto asked as he started on the second bar.

"I was in this junk room. It was where I found K9 and the clothes. It was filled with boxes, racks of clothes and mirrors. The wall had the same large indented circles like the first console room. I was really hungry; I don't know how but I saw these bars. One moment they were just there because they weren't there before."

"How did you find the room?" Jack asked as he chewed.

"I was with you when suddenly I was in this enclosed space and there was all this shaking. After it stopped, a wall gave way and I found myself in a corridor."

"Can you recall how you got into the enclosed space?" Ianto queried.

Sean closed his eyes in recollection. "It was like the walls just formed around me, I think the floor opened up. It was so quick; one moment I was with you then I was there."

"I'm very glad you were safe," Ianto said.

"I felt really safe. Sounds strange but I did; the walls were all soft and it felt like I was being held. Once I was out of the small place, I walked around for ages. It was like a maze." Sean sniffed and went on to explain about how he had left a trail of footprints and, using his fingers, had left messages and arrows on the walls but found the walls kept changing so he was never sure exactly where he was going, how far he had come, or if he was walking around in circles. "I came to a dead end, with a door. It was the only door I had come across so I went inside. I was so worried about you both. All I could think of was trying to find you." Sean broke down. Jack moved and sat next to him, and placed his arms around him. "I'm so sorry. I've ruined everything," Sean said as he tried to breath.

"You haven't ruined anything," Jack soothed.

"Yes I have. I've been so stupid. How can you love me? When I've said and done such horrible things." Ianto wrapped his arms around him so that he and Jack cradled him. "I've been so mixed up in side. I left all these messages and she never contacted me so I got to thinking that she," Sean gulped, "I mean my Mum must really hate me. That she knew I was bad and that's why she gave me away."

Jack lifted Sean's chin, and wiped away the tears from his face with his bare hand. "Your mother wanted you very much. You are a miracle. Your being conceived is even today still unexplainable." He saw Sean face crease. "When she found out about you, it was a surprise but the most wonderful possible bombshell because she could give the man she loved the one thing his heart craved."

"So why did she give me up then?" Sean asked.

"She didn't Sean. I'm from the future; five thousand years from the future when and where I come from men can have babies." Sean looked at Jack, wide-eyed.

"We had to make up a birth certificate and we couldn't use your Dad's real name so we made something up. We always intended to tell you, but time and circumstances kind of got away on us," Ianto admitted.

Jack caressed Sean's face "You are our miracle Sean." Jack went on to explain the events leading up to his birth and the Doctor's role.

"So why did he call me an abomination?"

"We think it's because you were born out of time. Male pregnancies were rare even in your Dads' time. It was centuries later before it became common place. I think he meant that you should not have been born in this time."

"You are not an abomination Sean. When we held you for the first time we kept asking ourselves what we had done to be rewarded with you. That moment was beyond anything we could both have dreamed off."

Sean's face crumpled. "I'm sorry I've been such a rotten son," he broke down again.

"You haven't Sean. You've just been going through a rough patch. Jack and I have done stupid things that got us into a great deal of trouble in the past. We all make mistakes..."

"You didn't cause a warehouse to be burnt down," Sean pointed out.

"Sean, can you tell us what happened?" Jack asked gently.

"I just wanted to keep everyone safe. We got so scared. We thought if we, I mean me and Chas took the blame that they wouldn't hurt you and Tad. Chas only has his mum and his sister."

"Sean we got that. What we need to know is what actually happened," Ianto pointed out.

Sean took a deep breath and began to explain. Both Jack and Ianto struggled to control their own fear as Sean recounted that terrible day. "They knew Chas, he was so scared, and they said they would do his sister then burn down their flat with them in it." Sean looked at both his Dads in turn. "They said they would come into our house, tie you up, pour petrol over you and burn up alive. Chas and I figured if we said it was us that burnt the warehouse down they would find out somehow and leave our families alone."

"They are not going to hurt anyone," Jack said strongly. "As soon as I found out about what had happened Torchwood set up surveillance of not only Chas's flat but his mum and his sister. We have better equipment than the police so they are one hundred precent safe. Tosh and Penny also set up an investigation to find out who the three thugs were so we can deal with them if we have to. I want to see justice done, Sean. You and Chas are not the first people they've hurt. I want them caught and out of circulation. If the Police don't do it I will." Jack smiled grimly thinking, 'if push came to shove he had a Weevil surprise for each thug.'

"You can really do that?" Sean stuttered and he saw his Dad nod.

"And the ID's?" Ianto asked. Sean let out a long breath.

"I made up one for Chas as a joke for his birthday. He took it to his school and showed it to one of his mates and they offered him five pounds if he would make one up for them. We never expected it to get so big we got sort of carried away. It just started with one or two but people kept putting in orders. We didn't know how to say no. It just kept getting bigger and bigger."

"And maybe you also got a kick fooling all the grown-ups?" Ianto pointed out and Sean looked embarrassed and nodded.

"How do I fix this?" Sean asked.

"When all this is over you need to tell the Police exactly what happened. They didn't believe you or Chas anyway. Just tell them the truth and point out who actually did this," Jack told him.

"As for the ID's, apologise and pledge never to do that again. There is nothing you have done that can't be fixed or put right." Ianto added and then took a deep breath.

"Sean, there is something else you should know you had a half-sister, Roslyn. Before I met your Dad, I lived in London and I had a partner called Lisa. We both worked at Torchwood One. There was an attack. Lisa was killed; she was six months pregnant." Sean went pale as he realised why his Dad was so affected by his words that he wished he hadn't been born.

"Was that what the Doctor was talking about?" Sean asked trying to cover his thoughts.

"Yes, they were both killed during the battle of Canary Wharf," Ianto confirmed. "We didn't tell you any of this Sean because both of us have very rough pasts. You were this incredible new beginning and we didn't want you touched with that past. Can you forgive us for not telling you all this?" Ianto asked.

"I can't believe you're my mum," Sean threw his arms around Jack and buried his head in his shoulder.

"Hey, I've got the scars to prove it. And you should get your Tad to tell you the story about the 'Roast Chicken Incident'." Jack held Sean close and stroked his back.

"That and the terrible chocolate milkshake cravings," Ianto added.

"It's not my fault the best place was across the other side of Cardiff," Jack exclaimed.

Ianto let out a breath and looked at Jack. "And now all this." Ianto stood up and swept his hand around.

Sean and Jack joined him.

"You know there is one thing none of us have considered," Ianto said after several moments had passed as they explored the console room.

"When the Doctor explained what was going on we all assumed it was the Master who set things in motion. What if it was the TARDIS itself?" Jack looked towards Ianto startled.

"The TARDIS is a she Tad," Sean interjected.

"How do you know that?" Jack raised his eyebrows and looked at him.

"I just have this feeling. When you said 'it' I felt it should be 'she."

Ianto nodded at Sean's comment. "So my question is: what if it was the TARDIS herself who set both the Master and the Doctor up? We did wonder how we came to be on board. According to the Doctor it was impossible because he had the key." Did she somehow find a way and materialise around us, bringing us on board?"

"Affirmative," K9 spoke up. "To complete conversion the TARDIS required direct access to the Universal Imperative and the being who the TARDIS was being converted for."

"The third source," Jack burst out. "Sean is the third source."

"K9, can you confirm if the same energy linking Jack and I is also flowing though Sean?"

"Affirmative." K9 backed up scanned first Jack and Ianto then Sean. "Hypothesis confirmed."

Ianto braced himself. "That means that Sean..."

"Is the Explorer," Jack finished for him.

"And I am his companion," K9 added.

"I've just remembered something," Jack burst out. "When I got back from universe-hopping, remember I told you about Tarot girl?" Jack turned to the look on Sean's face. "I'll explain later."

"She gave me a reading. She said that the union of the two lovers would bring forth an unexpected blessing. She said the Keeper of Time was like the blind hermit who had become bitter and heartless. That the two lovers would be the Inheritors of Time and that justice would be seen to be done." Jack went pale.

"What?" Ianto raced over to him.

"Aaron and Ianto. They sensed that our link was a Universal Imperative; a pre-ordained gift that felt like it was granted because the Universe was going to put something to rights." Jack shook his head to clear the shocking thought from his mind.

"To counter the oncoming storm," Ianto said as he now recalled.

"The Doctor once told me he was called 'The Oncoming Storm," Jack said.

"Okay," Ianto took a breath. "Let's go with what we know."

"This is the prophecy Ianto."

"I'm an agnostic Jack. You can't prove to me God exists or not."

"Think about it Ianto. In all the other universes I visited the Doctor was a power for good. He travels the universe putting things to rights and civilisations back on track. That's why he took the title of the Doctor, he heals people, and time wounds...whatever you want to call them. Except here. In this universe he became embittered, believing people got what they deserved and should suffer the consequences of their actions. What if the universe has a fundamental need for someone like the Doctor on some level? That the health of universe depends on someone doing what is needed to heal time wounds?"

"What you're saying is the universe here addressed the imbalance by removing the Doctor and replacing him with Sean. Us," Ianto sputtered.

"The TARDIS is a big part of this. Maybe she was touched by this energy too. She did sacrifice herself to save Sean's life. The Doctor admitted he punished her by removing her willpower. What if he didn't? What if she was also protected in some way?"

Ianto let out a huge breath and looked around at the magnificence of who and what the TARDIS was. "What did he do to alienate this amazing being for her to eject him so forcibly?"

"I know she suffered during the Year that Never Was and how hurt she was when he took the Master on board. Sean is only just fourteen years old. How is he supposed to deal with the responsibility of all this?" Jack pointed out.

Another screen came to light and writing began to flow from right to left. They crowded round trying to figure it out.

Sean squinted at the screen. There was what looked like interlocking dials, all whirling around. As he looked he realised he could understand it as it merged into English.

"Hey I can read this!" Sean declared. "It says 'All questions have answers but only at the right time. For now please follow K9'."

Jack felt Ianto's bewilderment as Sean read the words out aloud. It needed no words for them to realize that the words had become legible to all of them in the same instant.

"I think I need to lie down," Ianto said as Jack took his hand and they followed behind as K9 led them out of the console room.

Leading just a short way down the corridor, they came to a door. Pushing it open Ianto's jaw dropped. "I really, really need to lie down," Ianto repeated as his knees gave out.

Ianto laid down, his arms reaching out around Sean and held onto Jack's hand. Sean was between them, lying on a bed within a room which only be described as practical sumptuousness. Ianto had no idea what it would have been like to live in the Age of Steam but the rooms that they had explored had taken the idea to the nth degree. It was clear as they had looked around that this was a comfortable living area with every possible need covered. He smiled as he heard Sean breathing gently in and out, fast asleep.

Jack touched his mind, he pushed out and felt that Jack was feeling a mixture of guilt and relief of what had happened.

"I would never have wanted this. I always hoped that the Doctor and I would come to some understanding."

"To come to an understanding Jack takes two. You were always willing. He was not."

"I know," Jack replied. "But I'm not sorry to see the Master gone."

"He hurt you Jack, and the TARDIS. Both of you are victims of an insane being."

"I never thought she could be so ruthless."

"Maybe she was forced into a corner and knew there was only one way out. She planned this to the last full stop. When you have nothing to lose the unthinkable becomes possible." Ianto yawned.

"Well I got one explanation I wasn't expecting today," Jack said.

"Oh?"

"Why at forty-two you still looked twenty eight."

Ianto sent back his reply and felt his eyelids become heavy. "I put it all down to good genetics working out and the preserving power of superior coffee."

"I think we will deal with that tomorrow," Jack said as he followed Ianto into sleep.

The TARDIS felt a warm glow of utter satisfaction. Here was the future she had been promised spread before her. Jack was here her hero with his beloved. 'Together they held him safe,' she thought as she viewed them all sleeping. She had been so lonely, her insides filled with disdain, pain, insanity and hatred. Now she could feel herself filling up with the love that radiated out from all three of them.

She could feel the energy still pouring out from Sean into the Matrix, soothing and rebuilding her shattered psyche. It would take her a long time to heal, for to create the future she had had to destroy the past. As a creation of the Time Lords it had taken all her strength to break the bonds that held her to that culture.

And now her future was beginning. Now she would find her true path amongst the stars. Sean snuffled and she felt an overwhelming sense of protection; he was everything she had dreamed off. He was still so young, but they would grow together. That was why she had acted now before Sean came into full adulthood. His mind was still growing so that they could fully meld. She felt a sudden rush of exaltation. The adventures they would have, so many adventures; there was so much to put right. She tempered her excitement. One day at a time, she mused. One day at a time.


	10. Chapter 10

Taking a cautious sip, Ianto looked into the mug he was holding.

"That bad, huh?" Jack took a mug from the retrieval slot.

"Needs work," Ianto said with a grimace as Jack now took a sip.

Jack smacked his lips trying to confirm the flavour. "Well that tastes almost exactly as coffee should without being actually tasting of coffee. More of a non-coffee like coffee."

Ianto took another sip. "I think it's strange but drinkable and I am not even going to ask how she made this."

"You-Know-Who was a tea drinker," Jack said cautiously, because any mention of the Doctor or the Master caused a perceptible darkening starting in the corners of the room which made it clear their names was never to be spoken out loud again.

"Explains this then," Ianto agreed holding up his mug.

"If we can get her a sample of coffee then I'm sure she will be willing to add it to her repertoire."

"Ah the possibilities," Ianto added as the double doors leading out into the TARDIS opened.

"Please follow me, you are required," K9 instructed.

"Where are we needed?" Jack asked, looked into his mug, and then placed the mug back into the retrieval slot.

"Console room," came the reply.

Entering they saw Sean was studying one of the many gadgets that were displayed on various shelfs around the room.

"We've been summoned," Jack said as Sean came to join them.

Approaching the console one of the many screens began to fill with words.

Jack smiled and looked at Ianto. "Are we being asked to leave?" he said as he read the flowery language.

"Affirmative," K9 told them.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Ianto pointed out. "Leaving Sean here on his own, I mean look at this place. What if he needs help to figure things out?"

"I can figure things out on my own, Tad," Sean added looking a little crestfallen.

Ianto placed his arm around him. "It's not that I don't trust you or the TARDIS. What if you need help?" Ianto added quickly seeing the hurt on Sean's face.

"It is necessary to complete the transformative stage. The TARDIS needs his unbundled energy to complete the bonding," K9 spoke up.

Ianto smothered a smile and looked at Jack. "I think what the TARDIS is trying to say is this is a newborn relationship and a boy and his TARDIS need to be alone with each other."

"Affirmative. You have bundled energy and it is interfering with the final configuration."

"I see," Jack said. "I understand if it's absolutely essential we will leave, but before we go we need to discuss the fact that Sean is only fourteen years old. It's not that we don't trust Sean, but you are incredibly powerful."

Ianto jumped in. "It's not that we don't trust you either, how could we not trust you after everything that's happened…"

The screen began to fill with screes and screes of information and behind them one of the many gadgets began to print off the information into a hard copy form.

Scanning over the copy, which to Jack and Ianto looked like a substantial legal document complete with places for signatures. One word immediately struck them.

"Guardians...Jack and I…are guardians until he comes of age," Ianto reflected his understanding out loud.

"Awesome," Sean added thinking he only had four years before he could go anywhere he wanted.

Flipping the pages Jack laughed then pointed out the clause he has just read.

"Well, that puts a different slant on things," Ianto said.

"Can I see?" Ianto handed the document over to Sean and pointed out the clause. "That's not fair. I'll be ancient," Sean burst out, pouted then crossed his arms as his excitement faded.

"Thirty years is not ancient," Ianto corrected him then looked around as something came to him. Sean is correct; thirty is almost middle age for human being. "Is there something you're not telling us?" Ianto said to the room in general.

"Think about it, Ianto. He has the same energy passing through him as the third source," Jack pointed out when the TARDIS remained silent.

Ianto spluttered as the implications came to him. "What Tad?" Sean suddenly became concerned.

"Are you telling me that Sean is and I am and you're…I need to sit down again," Ianto said as he held onto the console for support.

"Sean, there is no easy way to say this. But it's something else you need to know," Jack started to speak.

Sean looked stunned. What else was there? His Dad was his mum. He had had a half-sister. Apparently his Tad couldn't die. Well he could but he came back to life. What more could there be?

"Sean it's a long story but something happened when I was travelling with…" Jack indicated with his head. "To cut a long story short I died and another travelling companion used the TARDIS heart energy to bring me back to life. It means I can't die."

Sean looked between his Dads.

"And yesterday, well it looks like Tad can't die either because Ianto and I have this bonded link and the same energy is going through you."

Jack and Ianto watched the effect of the words on Sean.

"I'm confused," Sean said after a few moments.

"The Time Lords were very long lived. They each lived for thousands of years. If I understand what's happened and the wording of this document it means that we are inheritors of that legacy. When I say we I mean all three of us. You are the direct inheritor and your Dad and I are here to make sure that happens. We keep the inheritance until such time as you can take it on your own shoulders; it means all three of us need extended lives, because time is eternal." The feeling in the room lifted in a way none of them could explain as Ianto spoke out.

"I'm not sure I want this. Part of me thinks it's great, but what about the future? It means I might be on my own because everyone else will grow up and I will be fourteen forever."

"Negative, Master," K9 interrupted and all three looked in the dog's direction. "You will continue until you come of age. Then remain. Currently you are unbundled. You will become bundled in time." Sean looked at K9 as if he was mad.

"So are you saying that what happened to Ianto and I will happen for Sean," Jack checked out.

"Affirmative."

"And will any of his children have the same energy running though them?" Ianto asked taking the idea to the next logical step.

"It is predicted that as each generation is completed the need for extreme longevity will diminish."

"That you will need to explain," Jack said.

"The explanation will become clear over time," K9 went and stood before Sean.

"It's bewildering; there are so many implications," Ianto pointed out.

"There is time enough," K9 said. "Right now the configuration is requiring completion and you will need this. All has been prepared." A slot opened on the console and Sean took out what looked like two card holders.

"I know what this is," Jack said as he examined his and handed the other to Ianto. "It's psychic paper."

"Psychic what?" Ianto said pulling out the blank paper from its holder.

"Not sure how it works but if you show it to someone they see what they expect or information about that person they need to know. For example an entry pass or proof of whom you are."

"Like a fake ID," Sean spoke up trying not to smile

"This is one conversation we are not having." Ianto raised his eyebrows at Sean.

"What does mine say?" Jack showed his to Ianto who promptly burst out laughing.

"It says 'Captain Jack Harkness, intergalactic stud muffin' and underneath it states in bold "I am not fat." Jack looked at it now blank.

"And mine?" Ianto held up the paper in his palm expectantly.

"It has not been seven months," Jack burst out indignantly.

Ianto looked at the now blank paper wondering what the hell it said. Jack leaned into to him and whispered in his ear.

"It bloody well has," Ianto told him seriously

"We shower," Jack pointed out.

"And when was the last time we did that? Every morning, I doing my parent routine or you're called out because you've been asked to liaise between UNIT and some undersecretary who's having hysterics over some alien incursion and needs your immediate personal attention."

"We'll take a break, go somewhere warm with a view and not leave the bedroom," Jack offered.

"Won't work Jack. Look what happened last time we tried to have time to ourselves. Just as we are about to board the bloody plane Torchwood Four turns up. And instead of five days in Spain with sun, sand, sangrias and you, I have to put up with watching several DVD series back to back while you go gallivanting about having some grand adventure." He looked at Jack's stunned face. "And when you got back you were too knackered to do anything but sleep for two days."

Jack took Ianto's hand and kissed it. "I promise we will make time…" Jack pulled Ianto in and they kissed.

"Dad, Tad!" They looked and saw Sean squirming, trying to cover his eyes. "Do you have to do that here?"

They pulled back and Ianto groaned. "So we have psychic paper and a request to leave. Alright, on the understanding this TARDIS does not move, and when I mean move I mean in time and or space from this very location." Ianto grabbed Jack's hand.

"So why do we need these?" Jack looked at the paper in his hand and the door of the TARDIS swung open.

Hooking the door shut with his foot and ignoring the regal splendour of the room Ianto pulled Jack into a frantic kiss.

"Lube?" Ianto said as they pulled apart for breath.

"Bugger," Jack said and started to search through the Hotel information on the small table by the tall windows that led onto a balcony.

He put his head out the door and took a look at the wide expanse of beach and ocean. "Very nice," he stated then picked up a large pamphlet holder and started to pull them out one at a time and discarded each in turn.

"English...why are there none in English?" he growled.

"That's because this is Argos Five," Ianto started to explain as Jack tossed out another pamphlet. "I'm going to call room service; all hotels have a pharmacy for this sort of thing."

"No I'll go," Jack grumbled stuffing his shirt back into his pants and zipping himself up.

Ianto threw himself onto the bed in frustration with a furious roar as the door slammed shut.

With a primal growl they both collapsed onto the bed in a heap of limbs.

"Who said you could move?" Ianto said after a few moments passed and Jack leaned over to grab some wipes.

Smiling Jack began to gently clean them up. "Feeling better?" Jack asked as he threw the wipes towards a rubbish bin.

"Getting there," Ianto said as he settled his head on Jack's chest. A few moments passed and they just held each other.

"I'm sorry you felt so neglected." Jack took Ianto's hand and kissed the palm.

"It's not your fault. We've both been so busy, with the expansion of my business, you acting as alien liaison to the government, Sean. I should have tied you down like of old."

"We have been busy," Jack agreed.

"You know, in terms of oddness the last few days have been very odd. There is so much to come to terms with. If I understand correctly the energy in us is inheritable and that each of our descendants in turn will have the same energy."

Jack nodded. "I have this feeling that there is a bigger picture that is being revealed."

Ianto nodded as he felt his eyes getting heavier.

"Sleepy already?" Jack teased.

"It's a long time since I came twice in under an hour I need to recharge," Ianto admitted honestly.

"Did I wear you out?" Jack smiled.

"No I'm gearing up to make you scream out my name in seven languages," Ianto pointed out.

"Only seven?"

"How many languages do you know then?"

"Let me see..." Jack pretended to count. He was about to answer when he saw Ianto had fallen asleep. He placed an arm around him, kissed his forehead and followed.

Waking with a start Ianto looked deep into Jack's eyes which were blazing with need. He was filled with an agonising desire to bury himself inside Jack. Their lips crashed together with a hunger neither had felt for a very long time. It was all-consuming as the bond between them thrummed. In a blur Ianto found himself lined up with Jack on all fours, Jack whimpering beneath him. He paused when he recalled the last time they had felt this overwhelming desire

"Jack, we have to stop," he said as he fought the urge to drive balls deep into Jack.

"Fuck me Ianto."

"We need condoms," Ianto almost sobbed as Jack growled.

"NO, No I need really feel you inside me now!" Jack commanded.

Ianto pulled away then headed for the bathroom, his cock was so hard it was painful to walk.

"Jack, when you bought the supplies did you see if there was any…" Jack grabbed him around the waist and he found himself dragged back to the bed. In seconds he was on his back, Jack astride his lap, holding both his wrists.

"Do I have to tie you down?" Jack hissed as Ianto twisted, trying to keep his other hand out of reach.

"Jack, feel the energy?"

"Don't you every shut up?" All talk ended as Ianto found himself lost in Jack's kiss.

"We have to stop," Ianto said breathlessly once they broke apart and found that Jack had managed to tie one of his hands down.

"One hand to go and then I am going to ride you," Jack said with glee, his eyes flashing. "I want you so deep in my arse I want to feel you in the back of my throat."

"The last time we felt like this was when you got back from universe hopping we ended up with Sean," Ianto managed to say.

"Sean," Jack stopped.

"Sean," Ianto repeated and Jack looked shaken.

"I remember the best three days of sex in my entire existence," Jack said wistfully.

"We need condoms," Ianto saw he had finally gotten Jack to listen. Leaping off Ianto Jack raced into the bathroom.

"No, No, NO!" Ianto heard crashing. Ianto finally pulled the knot on his tie free and joined him.

Ianto took hold of Jack's shoulders. "Think, Jack...did the pharmacy sell anything like condoms?"

"NO! They had everything else but nothing for humans."

"Lube..." Ianto interjected

"Is a universal requirement," Jack said putting all the stress on the 't'.

"Bugger," Ianto said through his teeth. "Now what do we do and ahhhhhhhhh stop filling my mind with images!"

"Sorry, all I can think of is you fucking me through the mattress."

"Okay we need to think," Ianto said taking a deep breath and saw one of the discarded pamphlets of the floor.

"What does one do on Argos Five when one needs distraction?" Ianto tried to keep the tremble out of his voice.

"Clothes...we need clothes," Jack said suddenly and Ianto nodded eagerly. "But nowhere with booths."

"Agreed," Ianto said pulling on his pants. "Places where there are lots of people around," Ianto clicked his fingers. "Restaurant, on our way up here I saw a really good restaurant and they have a swimming pool outside with a bar."

"No drinking; lowers the inhibitions," Jack pointed out.

"Okay okay, no drinking, don't go anywhere there are booths, make sure there lots of people around us at all times. Keep busy, don't throw you against a wall and fuck your brains out...got it," Ianto said his heart thumping in his chest.

"Remind me how long the compulsion lasted the first time?" Jack asked as they headed for the door.

"I don't recall we gave in," Ianto said an ache in his voice.

"We could give in," Jack pointed out hopefully.

"We have a son who has just taken over the TARDIS. We need to keep our time free to help him settle in and any other issues that might arise, let alone our lives back in reality."

"Shopping," Jack took a deep breath and opened the door.


	11. Chapter 11

"Wow you sure did do some shopping," Sean said as Jack and Ianto dumped a substantial number of plain and promotional shopping bags by the TARDIS door.

"We had no idea what a mecca it was. Malls everywhere; little specialised boutiques, they sold everything," Ianto said and scanned the console room to ease his own anxiety that all was well after their short break.

"Not everything," Jack pointed out.

"Well, almost everything," Ianto agreed. He gave Sean a quick hug in greeting.

"I have so much to show and tell you. Come with me." Sean took his Dads' hands and led them around to show them what he had discovered.

It would appear the TARDIS had retained the pool, a large indoor garden complete with gazebo and water feature.

There were several storage rooms filled with containers and boxes. Sean pointed out that no matter how he searched he had not been able to find the room where he had found K9.

Leading them down a wide corridor he opened double doors. Jack and Ianto gasped at the sheer vastness of the space.

"These are the engines," Sean told them.

Both Ianto and Jack looked over the handrail of the platform. From what they could tell the engines appeared to go into infinity.

"TARDIS told me that they go on for ever," Ianto glanced at Jack as Sean used the acronym TARDIS as a personal name.

"What if you need to repair something?"

"That's the really cool bit," Sean told them as he went to a substantial panel in the middle of the viewing platform. "The main engine is here and you can reach any part of this by the walkways. You can also reach the upper parts by the stairs." Jack and Ianto looked in the direction of Sean's hand and saw the platform they were standing on was part of a larger structure which enabled access to the top of the engine. There was a platform above them which could be reached by stairs. It looked very industrial in keeping with this being an engine room. "This is the parent engine. All the others are just duplications. Any corrections or repairs done on the parent here will be mirrored in all the others."

"Wow," Jack said.

"Wow," Ianto agreed.

"I don't understanding it fully. TARDIS downloaded all the specs into K9 so if I ever need to do any work he at least can talk to me and guide me to what I need to do." Sean took a deep breath. "And TARDIS and I have been practicing talking to each other but I need a lot practice."

Jack looked curious. "Can you share each other's thoughts?"

"No, and it feels so strange like my brain is itching. We have to practice every day by sending a message to each other, more like pictures rather than words." Sean scratched just under his ear. "But I saw colours which is the first step," he added proudly

"Well done." Ianto put his arm around his shoulders.

"And she made me do maths with all the squiggles."

"Really?" Ianto laughed.

"She said how you reach the conclusion is just as important as the answer." Ianto nodded his head in agreement.

"And now I have something really cool to show you," Sean said excitedly as he led them back to the console room.

Reaching the first panel Sean placed his hand on what looked like a raised hand print and the console came alive.

"I am taking us home," Sean said, moving around the console, flicking switches in order then pulling a lever. A moment passed. Sean looked a bit worried and he started to check the instruments when the central column began to move up and down.

Now he pressed more buttons and the column stopped. Sean turned to them with a huge smile on his face.

"You did it," Jack said placing his arm around him.

"My first run," Sean let out a huge breath. "And now Dads, we need to talk about those shirts."

"These shirts are the height of beach fashion on Argos Five." Jack did a spin, his arms out.

"The colours are burning my eyes Dad."

"Sean, I tried to talk him out of it," Ianto interrupted.

"But yours is just as bad. It looks like some sort of mad beach scene in day-glow. They are giving me a headache."

"Do you hear that Jack? He's standing there looking like a refugee from the Age of Steam complete with top hat and he is having a go at our shirts."

Sean squinted at the riot of colours which seemed to swirl as his Dads moved. "Promise me you will never wear them in public."

"I forgot, "Ianto said now moving to the bags and started to search through them. Reaching the tenth bag he pulled out what looked like a smaller version of shirts he and Jack were wearing. "Now, the being in the shop said that this was all the rage for gifts." He held out the hideously bright shirt. "The writing across the back translates as, 'My parents went to Argos Five for a holiday and all they got me was this stupid shirt'."

"Ha, ha," Sean said as he took the shirt thinking this was going in to the darkest reaches of his closet never to be seen again.

"Talking about being in public don't you think it might be a good idea to change?" Jack suggested looking at Sean.

"No I want to show Chas once everything's been sorted out." Sean looked a little worried.

"I guess that explains K9?" Ianto pointed out as Sean nodded. "Okay, deep breaths everybody; real life awaits," Ianto said as they stepped through the door.

"Don't remind me," Jack said as he took Ianto's hand.

"This is not home," Jack said as he looked around at the ornate building before them. It reminded him vaguely of a pagoda but without the normal elegance and style one would associate with such an edifice. It was not just that the colours that were all wrong; it was the proportions. It was as if someone thought this was what a pagoda should look like and gone from there.

Sean looked stunned. "I double-checked everything."

"Correct master. This is Angel One," K9 said.

All three of them stared down at K9.

"So if Sean checked everything why are we here and not where we are meant to be?" Ianto pointed out.

"You are where you are meant to be," K9 stated clearly.

Before anyone of them could express any indignation or begin to ask any of the dozens of questions that now clambered to be asked they heard a gentle cough.

They turned as one and saw a small man dressed in a mustard yellow outfit wearing a hat with a large stuffed seagull covered in rhinestones perched on the top as if in flight.

"Greeting esteemed sirs," the man bowed deeply.

"Greetings," Jack replied instinctively.

The small man coughed lightly again. "I apologise for my words but due to the sensitive nature of the nuptial festivities I will need to see your invitations."

"Of course," Ianto said pulling out his wallet and showed him the psychic paper.

The man's eyes widened as he examined the paper. "Lord Jones, what an honour." He now looked at Jack's. "Lord Harkness. When we invited a representation of the Galactic Federation to attend we did not expect such an honour from such esteemed members of the higher council."

"His Highness the Duke will be ecstatic that the Galactic Federation should send such as your esteemed sirs." The man stepped back and took a good look at them his eyes settling on Sean.

"This is our son Sean. He is here to observe," Jack added quickly.

"Learning how to wear the robes of duty early? I congratulate you." The man bowed, once more then coughed again very lightly. "Talking about robes I have to say that you are dressed in a most perfect manner to attend the evening's banquet. We have had to supply a number of outfits as some guests have come most inappropriately dressed. This is an event of great joy and as such every garment must reflect the joyousness nature of the occasion so congratulations on your most perfect attire. Your son however…" the servant looked at Sean up and down.

"You know what the young are like," Ianto said trying not to stifle a laugh.

"We bought him a matching shirt but he wouldn't wear it. He said it was hurting his eyes," Jack added.

"Yes, the young," the man tutted. "We can only hope he grows to develop the same sense of good taste as his fathers. He needs to learn that fashion is meant to make a bold statement and how better with the most vibrant colours in the universe even if it hurts the eyes."

He bowed so low the gull lurched causing the hat to slide forward. "Now if you will please follow me I will lead you to the Hall of Great Magnificence where you can join the pre-nuptial feast."

Looking at each other, not sure what they were getting themselves into, they followed the man though the ornate gardens towards a massive structure. Ianto wanted to call it a stately home but there was nothing stately about it. It had towers, and elements of it reminded him of a medieval castle. Another part was all marble and glass, and it was like someone had sat down with a large book of architectural styles and picked out the worst examples and then gone on from there. It was the sort of building that should have been on display at the 'Tate Modern' in London alongside other gross monstrosities of modern contemporary art.

Inside the building they followed other late arrivals who were also being escorted down a tall wide corridor. They bypassed the queue and approached a rather regal-looking man who was dressed in a glaring red jacket with gold swirls and was almost bland in comparison with the surroundings. He stood before a huge heavy purple curtain and lifted it to allow another party to pass through.

The small servant leaned in. "Please forgive our Lord Chancellor he is one who has yet to develop the good taste you are demonstrating. I know he looks positively dull but he is an excellent fellow who does a first rate job." He moved to introduce them. "Lord Chancellor, let me introduce Lord Harkness and Lord Jones of the Galactic Federation. They are accompanied by their son and have brought a most divine gift."

The Lord Chancellor turned his attention towards them. He looked them up and down with disdain, and then examined K9.

The small man continued, "It is a little dull, but I am sure by the time the royal jewellers and gilders have finished with him he will be a delight."

"K9 is not a gift. He is an instrument," Sean said strongly realising there had been a misunderstanding to K9's purpose.

The Lord Chancellor eyes widened and his monocle fell from his face. He fumbled to catch and replace it so he could take a better look. "A musical instrument? How droll. What tunes does it play? Does it know…?"

"K9 you are to go to straight back to the TARDIS and wait there for us to return. You are not to leave for any reason," Sean interrupted.

"Yes Master." K9 turned and headed back.

"Well I say!" The Lord Chancellor looked insulted.

"He is a basic model. Now we have seen the splendours here we realised that he needs to be decorated," Jack added quickly.

"Quite, quite but we have our own highly renowned and gifted craftsmen who could have added the most divine ornamentation."

"We wouldn't want to give any offence considering the importance of the festivities. We wish to honour the Duke with our highest esteem," Ianto added hastily.

"Very well," the Lord Chancellor said as he watched K9 disappear from view. "Once you've completed the upgrade, send him to the room of the Bequests for the Blissful Union."

Clapping his hands another overdressed servant similar to the first, dressed in the same yellow mustard outfit but wearing what looked like a towering hat of fruit.

"I will announce you and if you follow this young man he will take you to your table." The Lord now picked up what looked like a heavy jewelled speaking horn. The curtain parted and he began to bellow. "Lord Harkness and Lord Jones of the Galactic Federation who have gifted a magnificent if dull singing mechanical dog. They are accompanied by their very boringly dressed Son."

Stepping beyond the curtain they found themselves at the top of a wide flight of steps. Looking down they could see a huge cavern of a room. High above them the ceiling was adorned with a garish painting of hundreds of cherubim in various poses. Hanging down to light the whole room were chandeliers held seemingly in place by angels that looked like they would swoop or come crashing down considering the flimsy nature of their attachment to the ceiling.

The banquet was in full swing with an uncountable number of servants scurrying between each table, their arms laden with precariously balanced stacks of plates filled with what looked like tiny morsels of food.

Making their way with difficulty, narrowly missing harassed-looking servants they found themselves two-thirds down the hall. The servant indicated a low table surrounded with large circular cushions, which was filled with small dishes, all piled one on top of the other. The single occupant looked up then belched and waved at them to sit down.

"At last! You took your time," he slurred as he drained his glass. He waved the glass above his head and a passing wine or drink servant refilled it immediately.

"And you are?" Ianto asked as he settled on a cushion.

"Billfold Yukawa at your service. Federation attaché first class posted here to oversee the signing of the treaty." He took a sip of the drink in his overfilled glass as some slopped on to the surface of the table.

"Treaty?" Jack repeated examining the plates stacked on the table that looked in danger of collapse.

"We're here as replacements. We got a call yesterday asking if we could attend; apparently there was some kind of homeland emergency which meant the other representatives couldn't get here," Ianto explained.

"I bet. Or didn't want to end up in the arse end of the quadrant at one of the Duke's endless banquets." More plates were dumped on the table causing several of the plates to slip sideways. Sean caught them just in time and stacked them back up. "Yes...treaty. The long awaited Treaty. Two dukedoms at war almost as long as this banquet. We've only had two hundred courses; three hundred to go." He let out a long sigh. "Sorry, I digress. Devastation all round, the war that is not this banquet, fought each other to a standstill. Economies in ruins, people suffering, you get the picture. Both sides so at odds with each other it took a whole solar cycle before they could decide the shape of the table for the peace negotiations. Then another cycle to decide its colour."

Billfold indicated with a finger and they move in closer. "Truth is, both sides are sick of the whole thing. None of them can remember what they are fighting about or over. They want to stop all the feuding and go back to what they did before they got distracted, which was collecting tolls. Personally I think they are bored with the whole thing and just need an excuse to stop all the nonsense. The quadrant will breathe a sigh of relief when they no longer have to take the long way round to trade, which has been a bloody inconvenience for the last one hundred or so solar cycles because you could never guarantee one side or the other wouldn't take a pot shot at you," he said in one breath. "Once the treaty is signed I figure we will all have to put up with the tolls being hiked up but anything will be better than having to go fifty-eight light-years out of the way as we all try and avoid the dark nebula."

"I thought I heard the word nuptial," Ianto checked some of the contents of the plates.

"Yes, it's been agreed the only true way to stop the fighting is to bring the two Dukedoms together. To do this there has to be a marriage so there is going to be a wedding." Billfold took a swig of his drink. "It has been decided that as the Duchess is still in the child-bearing zone she is the bride."

"And the groom?" Jack asked.

"Herald, the Duke's youngest son."

"Is he one of those at the head table?" Ianto indicated with his head towards the raised platform two dozen tables away from them

"The large, red-faced man with his outfit screaming every colour is the Duke. On his right is his oldest son, Katha. On the left is General Spitzer, commander of the duke's forces who was responsible for the scorched earth policies that had caused both sides to seek peace. The rest are head of the various houses."

"Which one is Herald?" Jack asked as they stretched their necks to get a better look.

"Oh he's not here. He's yet to come out so it would be most improper for him to attend."

"So how old is he?" Jack asked settling back down.

"Fifteen."

"Fifteen!" Jack and Ianto replied together and looked at him in shock then glanced at Sean.

"It was meant to be the oldest son but he refused point blank because he had met the Duchess. It was about to get all very nasty when the Duke offered Herald. Seeing this is his only other legitimate heir the offer was deemed acceptable."

"So if the Duchess is getting married and this the pre-nuptial banquet so why is she not here?" Jack watched a servant struggle up with several plates, saw none of those on the table were empty, and staggered away.

Billfold let out another sigh. "Another tradition. Both parties are sequestered as they take the time to contemplate the delights of the bliss only the married state can bring."

Jack choked on his drink which he had found in front himself a few moments before. "Married bliss? He is fifteen."

"Yes, and it all happens at exactly midday tomorrow at the conclusion of the wedding ceremony. They will then sign the treaty and hostilities will cease and they can go back to inflicting their terrible dress sense on the rest of the universe. At the same time you will then hand over the document of inclusion inviting them to apply for membership in the Galactic Federation because as you know one of the conditions of membership is not conducting or engaging in a civil war."

Billfold picked up a delicate fork and speared one of the morsels, popping into his mouth. "Now you should know not everyone on either side is happy with the turn up of events. Some individuals have become very rich selling arms to both sides and there has been some nastiness. There are rumours of an assassination attempt on the life of the Duke, and/or his sons. Disruption at any point will see the bloody war continue and a vital trade route will continue to be blocked."

"So what she like then, this Duchess?" Sean asked as he picked up a delicate fork and speared a green cube. It was crunchy and tasty. He moved to take another.

"No. Only one morsel per person, per plate," Billfold shouted and Sean pulled his fork away. Seeing food was now being consumed another pile of plates were suddenly dumped onto the table causing those already tottering to slide. "The Duchess is known as the most ruthless woman in the quadrant. She took over the duchy from her father. She was the last woman standing, so to speak. She was strong enough to take over with the promise she would find a way to stop the carnage."

"Well, let's hope they find love." Ianto raised his glass in a toast.

"Love!" Billfold snorted. "This is a royal wedding of convenience. All Herald has to do is turn up tomorrow, say the right words then survive the wedding night. He only has to consummate the marriage and produce one child. Two to be safe."

"That's a bit harsh," Ianto looked shocked at Billfold's callousness.

"No one cares. Herald's fate is sealed and it's a sacrifice everyone is willing to make, because let's face it this war has gone on long enough. Worse, vital trade has been disrupted."

Not sure on how to reply Ianto picked up his fork and speared a yellow cube. He saw Jack looking at him, shaking his head sadly and pushing out his love.

Jack looked at new set of plates that had been dumped on their table. He groaned and wished for something more substantial. He was not sure if the endless courses were an excuse to produce a large banquet of many dishes using as little actual food as possible or was the tradition for such occasions. Shifting on the cushion he looked for a way to escape. He sighed because he knew it was impossible; every attempt they had witnessed had so far ended in failure. The last attempt had been an hour ago when several guests in desperation had attempted to escape by crawling around the tables, keeping as low as possible but were caught and led back with polite admonishment that there were only one hundred and eight courses left to go.

Stretching to ease the pain in his lower spine Jack's attention was caught by a man bowing before them. He was like the others, dressed in mustard, and Jack noted that his hat appeared to have a large stuffed cat about to leap at some unseen destination and was wobbling to escape.

"Honourable sirs, his Royal Highness, His Majesty Duke Juno of the Twelve Islands of Heaven, Ruler of the Gate Lands respectfully commands your presence."

Delighted that this offered some form of escape Jack leapt up. He regretted it immediately as his legs, numb from sitting, hit the underside of the table causing the entire unstable contents to go flying to the right, sliding around Billfold. Fortunately he had found his own escape hours earlier and had passed out.

Ianto helped Jack to his feet, who rubbed his knees. Then he went to assist Ianto who was removing the plates around Billfold. Having cleared enough they followed the servant weaving in and out of the tables, trying to dodge the frantic effort of those still delivering food or clearing plates.

They were steered to the platform where several very bored-looking individuals were lounging about on stuffed cushions. Jack was not sure if he should be grateful none of them were wearing any absurd hats because he knew he if caught Ianto's eye or raised eyebrow once more he was going to not be able to contain himself. Once he started he knew it would be impossible to stop so he raised a small oath of thanks.

Jack and Ianto bowed as they were introduced and with a wave of his royal hand they settled before the Duke.

The Duke dusted off his hands. "Sirs, how honoured that you should come to our shores and behold our magnificence." He waved his hand about.

"It is we who are honoured to be included in such an historic occasion," Ianto replied.

The Duke leaned forward. "Yes, yes." the Duke waved away Ianto's flowery words. "Now to business. When I heard you had brought your own son I knew that the gods had smiled upon us. As you know it is the night before the nuptials tomorrow. I have a major dilemma because there is no one of royal stature who can join him in his vigil as he prepares for his future happiness." They all turned towards a loud snort that came from a man in his twenties who had been identified to them as the Duke's eldest son.

"I have no one I can spare or who is willing." The Duke scowled at Katha and the man raised his glass. "No one his age and an equal who could spend a few hours in his company which is right and proper. Someone who could distract him as he contemplates his er…em... The Duke looked uncomfortable then added, "blissful union."

'Or objects and creates a fuss,' Ianto and Jack both pushed out to each other simultaneously.

"So I was wondering if your son would join him in his hour of need?" The Duke saw Jack and Ianto glance between each other. "Your son will be most safe. Herald is currently sequenced in the securest wing of this palace surrounded by my most trusted guard."

"Sean?" Jack asked Sean who shrugged and Jack rubbed his back.

The Duke clapped his hands as Sean now stood. "While you're there you can ask my son for some fashion advice. I am sure he will be able to help you find a better, more delightful way of expressing your taste." Sean rolled his eyes and after taking a look back he followed as the servant with a bunch of bananas on his head wobbled before him.

The Duke accepted a refill of his glass. "And now I must throw myself upon your benevolence again. Lord Jones, would you honour my eldest son by joining him and his companions in an evening of entertainment?" He leaned forward and started speaking in a heavy stage whisper. "It's just that many of the young nobles are displeased with the ending of hostilities. They have tested their manhood in the heat of battle and feel the loss of honour most sharply. But those of us who are older and wiser dream of a more profitable time of peace. If they are joined by a high-ranking member of the Federation it will be a reminder that with peace comes prosperity."

Ianto looked a little bemused as he tried to consider being older and wiser.

"It's mostly a card game. I want them to keep out of trouble, no running off to the enemy camp so to speak, who are currently enjoying the hospitality of the Dukedom in the west wing, and stirring up any nonsense. The last thing we need is a lot of hot-headed youth trying to claim glory."

Ianto looked at Jack as several of the young man surrounding the table staggered to their feet and started to move away. "Of course I will be honoured," Ianto said. Looking up he found a servant, his hand held out. Taking the hand he was pulled to his feet and, winking at Jack he followed.

Jack watched Ianto's retreating back trying to quieten the debate in his head about the folly and/or wisdom of their splitting up. He pulled his attention back and found the Duke looking at him.

"Now sir." The Duke leaned towards Jack. "Let us see if we can find some common ground and have a meeting of the minds. I always find cuisine to be a great conversation starter." The Duke clapped his hands and a servant appeared with a plate and held it before Jack's face.

"This is called 'Rangool' and it is an utter delicacy of the finest order. Only the most educated palettes can discern its charms," the Duke declared as he readied his fork and took a slice for himself.

Jack peered at the small square of brown substance. He picked up the morsel and placed it into his mouth. As soon as his teeth took a bite he was hit by the gritty yet slimy texture. He struggled not to gag as the flavour of rotting excrement hit the back of his throat. Forcing himself not to gag he swallowed. He looked and saw the look of excitement on the Duke's face.

"Well?"

"Very original," Jack forced out desperately looking for something to wash down the mess in his mouth. He searched around and found a glass in his hand. He sniffed it and to his relief found it was non-alcoholic. He took a quiet sip not wishing to insult his host by taking large gulps.

"Do you know there are some people who would rather suffer execution than take a single bite of this wonderful substance?" the Duke told him shaking his head sadly.

"Well they are missing out," Jack said as took a sip; a bigger one this time in an attempt to rid the foul taste from his mouth.

"It's created by stuffing a small rodent with a secret mixture of herbs and berries. It is buried in a small earthenware pot for five years. Once opened it has dissolved into this delicacy."

"It's certainly interesting," Jack tied to force some enthusiasm.

The Duke's face split with joy. "Excellent!" he thundered. "An epicurean like myself. Oh, the delights we will sample. I have so much to share." The Duke called over a servant. "Call the chef. Tell him I want him to pull out all the stops and prepare all my most favourite dishes starting with 'Bicall Candied Eyes'. You want to know the trick to making really superb candied eyes?" The Duke leaned towards Jack who was trying to resist the urge to use the napkin on the floor to rid his mouth of the gritty residue that refused to dislodge.

Jack looked at him feeling more than a little green.

"The trick is to pluck them out while the animal is still living."

Sorry for the delay RL intruded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot shamelessly borrowed from the Star Trek Next Generation novel 'Dragons Honor' by Kij Johnson and Greg Cox. All rights and kudos to them. Please don't sue I have no money.
> 
> That said I only borrowed the plot and did make it my own.


	12. Chapter 12

Ianto followed behind the group of rowdy young men to an ornate door. A fierce-looking guard holding a formidable spear opened the door and he found himself caught in a cloud of heavily scented vapour that hit his senses and his eyes began to water. As Ianto entered it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. The room was as ornately garish in complete keeping with the rest of the edifice. A large number of now familiar cushions were scattered around low tables and there were several ornate screens that created an air of seclusion.

As his vision cleared a very handsome young man covered in wisps of fabric draped his arms around him and drew him into the room. Ianto was not alone as a bevy of almost naked young men and women similarly attached themselves to all those who had entered.

Ianto looked the young man up and down and felt an immediate attraction. He was almost elfin-like in his delicacy and the fragments of fabric did nothing to hide the man's clear intentions.

"You like?" Ianto caught the young man's hand as it began to roam delicately through his chest hair. "You can take him if you like. He is trained in all the arts of desire and I see that he also desires you." The words broke Ianto from his appreciation. He looked to see Katha, the eldest son, with two young women draped over him. A sound caught his attention as the purpose of the screens became apparent and the room began to fill with the sounds of an energetic coupling.

Another man approached who also had several young woman draped over him. They were giggling as they pulled articles of clothing from him. The young man detached himself and the young women pulled the man towards another screened area.

"Robert is always so popular with my concubines. They cannot get enough of him."

"Concubines?" Ianto now accepted a glass of wine and followed Katha towards a low table where several other young men were gathering to play what looked like a game of cards.

"These are from my outer harem. They are there as act as distraction from my inner harem. There I keep my most favoured," Katha stated proudly.

"Wife? Husband?" Ianto asked, curious, thinking about the marriage tomorrow.

"They are there to be filled with seed or to produce heirs. One has no great affection for them. They are nothing but pawns used in political games. Marriage is something one does because one has to."

"Your brother?" Ianto took a sniff then a sip of the wine and settled on one of the cushions around the largest low table.

"I will allow you to call him that once. I disown him. All he cares about are his books and his stupid pet. He would rather write poetry than fight in a duel. And he draws and god forbid I heard he had designed all his own hideous outfits in pastels. If you do try to strike up a conversation he just rattles on about the stories he's read and the idiot thing he dotes on. I dreaded his coming out; now much to my own relief that is solved. Tomorrow he will disappear for good behind more walls with only one duty to perform. However I don't hold much hope as he probably has no idea what do with it. And that woman is enough to shrivel any man's equipment .She would be bearable if she had any looks and wasn't as thin as a rake along with a voice that sounds like a sergeant major ordering around troops on a parade ground." Katha took a breath and held up his hand. "Enough, my role is to create an evening of delights. To distract and to entertain and keep everyone too sated to cause any problems that would prevent tomorrow." He indicated for a set of strange octagonal cards to be dealt.

"Let us play a few rounds of ' Gwinnet.' On the next break I have some entertainment you should find most amusing."

Picking up the cards Ianto found in from of him, he studied them as Katha began to explain the rules of the game.

Sean found himself led down along a series of corridors. From what he could tell the palace was more like a fortress. Tall double doors appeared to lead to more inner connected corridors leading to more tall double doors and he got the distinct feeling he was passing through layer upon layer of security. Finally they reached a set of doors that were guarded by what looked like real warriors standing to attention, holding long fearsome looking spears.

The servant bowed, the guards stepped back and the door swung open. The servant indicated with his hand for Sean to enter. Sean stepped through the doors and found himself in the first homily room he had come across. He barely had time to take in the surroundings when a white fluffy creature the size of a small soccer ball bounced towards him. As it reached the height of each bounce it barked out a high pitched cough. Suddenly it stopped mid bounce. As it hit the ground a foot shot out and it scratched itself with great energy. The itch now satisfied it continued towards Sean. Not sure how dangerous it was Sean backed into the door.

"Poppet, you naughty girl, that's not how we greet guests." A tall pale young man with auburn hair hurried forward. He scooped the small creature into his arms. The creature proceeded to lick the young man's face with excited abandonment.

"Please excuse Poppet, we don't get many visitors and she is all a quiver with meeting a new person. Aren't you my precious," the youth said to the fur ball in his hands. Sean could see the creature was like a small dog but more barrel-like. He could hardly discern its face except for a long pink tongue and a hint of a black nose turned towards him.

"You must be Sean? I'm Herald." The young man put out his hand and Sean shook it. "You will have to excuse us we don't get very much company. My older brother sometimes comes by. Not very often; he's been here for a whole month and he hasn't dropped in. I 'm not allowed out on my own It's because I'm a son of the Duke, with the war and everything it's not safe. I haven't come out yet either so that makes it very awkward because I've not been introduced. That was to be next year. There was going to be a big ball and there is lots of dancing then I would have been introduced to all the families. Then I could meet other people. Bit daunting really but exciting just the same." He stopped and looked at Sean. "Sorry I haven't let you say a word."

"I'm very pleased to meet you," Sean said.

"Father sent me a message that you were coming. And we can meet because we're sort of equals even though I 'haven't come out yet." He linked his arm in Sean's and he led him further into the room. "So I know we will be best pals."

Herald led Sean towards the middle of the large room where he saw a number of large cushions scattered around the room. Herald untangled their arms, sat down and indicated Sean join him. Sean settled in the nearest large cushion and made himself comfortable.

"I'm am so excited to meet you today, because apart from meeting someone completely new I want to share something I've been aching to show. I've been teaching Poppet the most delightful tricks." He caught Sean looking at him. "Yes I know but I have to wear white. I 'm not allowed to wear any colours until…until," the young man swallowed, "until a-after tomorrow."

"I like it," Sean said, not sure what he should say.

"I hate it. I love wearing all the colours of the rainbow. Now I don't want to think about tomorrow so let me show you how clever Poppet is and then you can tell me all about yourself. I've never met anyone outside of court; well outside the palace ever. I've not come out yet so I not supposed to meet anyone outside of the court." Herald paused. "Sorry I've already told you that. I keep being told that I rattle on. Father tells me off every time he comes. I haven't' seen him in ages either because of all the preparations for the ending of the war and the ceremony. I'm sure it's because there is so much to arrange. I don't know what I would have done with everyone being so frantic if I didn't have Poppet." Herald took a breath and looked adoringly at his pet.

"I wasn't meant to have her, but I found her in the corridor. It all started when one of my tutors set me a wonderful game because I get so full of energy; I have to run and I love running. I run around all the corridors in the palace that lead back to this door. My record is eleven time units. Well anyway, I had just reached the Corridor of Divine Souls when I heard a cry. She was shivering by one of the statues. She was so tiny she could fit in the palms of my hands. I knew at once she was special and I claimed her as my own." He lifted the creature and held her out and gazed lovingly at her. "She is my very best friend," he said in a special voice filled with affection.

"Now let me show you our tricks," Herald said as he placed the small animal before him on the floor.

"Sit," Herald commanded. The fluff appeared to tilt.

"Lay down." The ball of fluff flattened slightly.

"Roll over." Sean saw a flash of black feet.

Herald looked at Sean full of anticipation.

"Play dead," Herald clapped. Poppet rolled on her back and stuck all four feet in the air. 'Herald let out a cry of delight. "Isn't she the cleverest thing you have ever seen?" He looked at Sean, his face aglow.

"Very clever," Sean tried to show some enthusiasm.

Herald's face fell. "It's not is it? It's really pathetic," Herald said a little sadly.

"No, it was clever! She had me really believing she was dead," Sean assured him, smiling.

"She is a special little thing." Herald whistled softly and Poppet leapt into his arms and licked his face. "You have no idea how I find my time goes by so much better since I found her." He fed her a morsel from a nearby plate.

Sean looked embarrassed as his stomach rumbled.

Herald looked shocked, stood and clapped his hands "I have been remiss. Let me order in something to eat. I've not been a very good host I should have ordered in something but I was so excited about meeting someone who was just like me. I so wanted to show you all Poppet's tricks because she has worked so hard and you are the first person who has ever seen them I completely forgot." Herald was interrupted as a servant entered and was given a set of instructions.

Ianto studied the two cards in his hands. He had been trying to figure out the meaning of each and how they all related for what seemed like hours. The fact that the room was filled with a light purple haze from some kind of scented smoke was giving him a headache.

"It's your turn." He felt a nudge on his elbow. Making his best guess he placed the card with two towers next to the one that had a mountain on it.

"The wandering star finds its pivotal moment." Ianto glanced up from his hand to a young man across the table from him. It had been explained he was a sage whose duty it was to pronounce ancient sayings of wisdom when the moment called for one. Ianto noted the young men around the table nod in agreement. Ianto struggled not to roll his eyes. He was not sure what was more frustrating: the fact he was playing an incomprehensible card game where his small pile of gold triangular chips were slowly disappearing or the equally incomprehensible utterances that seemed to make sense to everyone but him.

"I win again." Robert, who had re-joined them from his exertions earlier, reached out to take the winnings.

Ianto raised a finger. "Hang on. I thought the card of the two towers beat the mountain because it could reach higher?"

"Not when it is preceded with the nine of dogs," Ianto heard the man next to him say in a long suffering voice.

"The beggar makes his bid and the water falls," the sage noted.

"I agree; time for us to enjoy some refreshment and some highly anticipated amusements," Katha said, now standing, and took a filled glass from a servant. "And Sir I think it's time you partook some of the delights on offer."

Ianto turned to stretch his legs when he found his being invaded by the lovely young man from earlier. The haze around him seemed to increase as the man now pushed him backwards onto the cushions and found his lips. Lost in the erotic moment and the heady scent of the mist he felt hands roaming over his fully exposed chest. He ached to be touched and felt a brush of fingertips caress the head of his penis. A shudder of sheer want infected his thighs and travelled into his lower back. Ianto pulled the man closer. The kiss deepened and it felt like his lips were on fire. Long sensual fingers wrapped themselves around his shaft. His hips moved as each stroke brought him c-l-o-s-e-r …he felt Jack's sudden indignity enter the forefront of his mind followed by questions to why he hadn't been invited to join in a threesome. Ianto brought himself back and shook his head to clear his mind. He reached down and pulled out the young man's hand. He looked more than a little confused to why they were not continuing when Ianto was showing so much enjoyment.

"You are beautiful but I'm spoken for," Ianto said gently.

"Or impotent," he heard one the young nobles suggest in disgust.

"Tell me, is it even up?" Katha asked the young man lying next to Ianto.

The young man palmed Ianto's erection. "That's enough," Ianto warned as he removed his hand a second time.

"Oh I see the mighty Federation is too esteemed to accept the simple hospitality of the outlanders."

"I am very happily married to the man I accompanied," Ianto explained as he did his shirt back up. He had a feeling from the disappointment in the voices of the nobles he might have been the entertainment.

"How dare you insult the honour of our kingdom by refusing the hospitality of the Duke's Eldest son? An insult to him is an insult to the Duke himself."

Ianto stood as he heard the indignity and anger rumble around the group. He went to open his month to reassure them when he found he was blinded as wine was thrown in his face.

Staggering forward he tried to clear his sight. Blinking through the blur he found himself in front of the biggest man in the room, a brute of a man whose exploits had been bandied about all evening. The man swung with his left fist as he lurched forward. Still partially blinded Ianto did the only thing he could; he jumped out the way. From the stumble Ianto figured the brute was at least partially impaired form the huge amounts of the Duke's wine he been drinking all night.

The man straightened then turned. He looked at the man before him with disdain and threw himself at Ianto with a roar.

K9 turned himself back on. He scanned the space he found himself in. It was filled with a large number of objects on display. He reviewed his orders: 'return to the TARDIS and remain until otherwise requested'. He catalogued that his previous attempt had been thwarted when he was mistaken for a gift and placed here. He calculated the chances of that occurring again.

Moving in every direction he tried to ascertain a way out.

He now scanned the huge heavy doors. "Escape impossible via main entrance," he told himself and scanned the room again.

While they were waiting Herald took Sean on a tour of his quarters. There was a large living area, along with a separate sleeping room. Sean made no comment about the fact that the rooms appeared to be mostly packed. From the only comment Herald had made it was clear he did not want anything to spoil the fact he had some company. So arm-in-arm Herald led Sean into the outside walled garden then regaled him with what seemed to Sean to be the entire history of the palace including who each of the persons were in the overbearing paintings of past family members along the walls inside.

As Herald spoke Sean he felt himself warming towards him. He might be a little obsessive about his only companion, but Sean found himself wondering what it would be like to have lived his whole life locked up in some forgotten wing of a large palace with no more than a small animal and his tutors for company. As he listened he found himself thinking about his own childhood. The why to the efforts his Dad's had gone to, to try to give him some kind of everyday ordinary life was becoming more clear. Now he knew some of the truth and had met beings like the Master and the Doctor he realised they could have wrapped in cotton wool but they hadn't and he felt an understanding grow about his past he had not seen before.

"At last," Herald said as they heard movement and saw a number of servants bearing trays entering the room. "I wasn't sure what you would like so I ordered lots of different things." The servants laid out the table and uncovered the dishes. As each lid was raised delicious aromas filled the room.

His plate filled Sean sunk into a cushion and took a bite. Nothing looked familiar but whatever it was tasted as good as it smelt and after a tentative bite he dove in. "Strange you getting married tomorrow and not being at your own banquet," Sean commented.

Herald looked at his food and sighed. "There's another one tomorrow even bigger than the one tonight. I don't want to think about it because it's going to be a horrid day. What I want to hear is about the world out there."

Sean wondered what he should say. His life was so different from Herald's in every respect so he decided so he would give him the basics of his everyday life.

"And you can go wherever you want to on your own?" Herald asked as Sean wiped his plate clean and eyed the desserts.

"Well within reason. Tad drops me off to school because it's across town and there's no school bus. After school I go to my Tad's book shop. Two days a week I go to swimming club. Then Dad picks me up after practice."

"And you can mix and meet whoever you want? I mean at school you're allowed to meet and talk to anyone?" Sean nodded. "So you must have come out then?" Herald tried to make sense of what he was being told.

"We don't have that. People come of age at eighteen. Some have a big party. It's then they can vote."

"Vote?"

"Elections. Vote for who is going to be in the government. It's one person one vote."

"What, anyone? Servants, not just the nobles? What about the King you told me about?"

"Well he actually can't vote," Sean tried to explain how politics worked.

"Very odd. It must be utter chaos, but let's get back to you. You said you went to school. Do you have special teachers on your own?" Herald asked confusion lacing his voice.

"Well, yeah for maths, I'm really good. I'm in the top maths class at school. I get that from my Tad; he's amazing he studies theoretical physics. So as well as the normal maths class I do at school, except I'm a class for 6th formers which is two years ahead. I'm also doing an Open University paper just for fun. Dad told me if I did this particular paper I wouldn't have to sit A levels which is an exam because it's an equivalent." Sean wiped his hand across his mouth. "And you?"

"Oh I have tutors, one for every subject," Herald replied. "I'm not good with numbers; in fact I find them exceedingly dull. But I love stories, and poems. Poems are very special. You can make words into beautiful strings of loveliness. I've even written a few myself, poor efforts though they are. I enjoy painting too. I've even tried to paint Poppet but she won't stay still long enough." Herald put down his plate and left the room returning with a large folder held together with blue ribbons. He pulled open the ribbons and handed a sheet of paper from the folder to Sean.

Wiping his hands on his trousers Sean took the offered work. It was an exquisite pencil drawing that had captured Poppet exactly. "That's brilliant," Sean said.

"Oh just a quick sketch. I have chests full of my work," Herald glowed under Sean's praise. "Other than my art I have to study history, which I have to say is very rough. It's mostly lots of wars and people being nasty to each other, along with lists and lists of who slayed who. As a reward for sitting through it all I was allowed to design all my own outfits and one of the tutors had them made up. And outside of school you can walk around without an escort?" Herald pulled Sean to standing and they went to the table and began helping themselves to the several desserts on offer.

Sean nodded trying not to laugh out loud at the thought of walking around with a bodyguard as he filled his plate.

"You can make friends with whoever you want? Anyone? Have you got a friend, someone who is your best pal?"

Sean smiled shyly. "Yes I have a friend, Chas. He and I are kinda special. We're best mates in every sense."

"Did you meet him at the school where you do learning?" They both settled back on the floor.

"I met him when I was at primary school. Right now I'm at Secondary school; that goes from children from around twelve to seventeen. I go to a private school which means my Dads pay for it. Chas goes to a Secondary school that's paid by the government. We met at swimming class which is after school at the local swimming pool. We just saw each other and knew sort of instantly." Sean smiled in remembrance. "He made me laugh because he kept making rude noises in the water, then I made them back. We've been best mates ever since. If we can we spend all our time together."

"Oh a special best friend." The prince looked at his hands. "And do you and your special friend meet special places?" Herald asked very quietly.

"We hang out. His place, my place, we did have somewhere but it got burnt down," Sean said blushing.

"And do you and he talk?" The prince looked at Sean, becoming still.

"We talk about everything."

"And do you and he ever hold hands?" Herald asked under his breath. Sean nodded not sure where the conversation was going. "It's nice you hold hands and talk to each other and everything," Herald reflected. "But it's more, more than that isn't it…?"

"Now we're older yeah. I think it was Chas who made the first move. He ran his finger down my palm. We looked at each other and next thing we were kissing."

As Sean spoke Herald suddenly burst into tears.

"Now," Ianto said as he held the brute in a choke hold. Pushed up against one of the walls he could hear the other man's ragged breathing as he pressed his advantage. "I am not a violent man but the last few days have been testing. I thought we were going home but we ended up here. I have just endured one of the most frustrating holidays of my life and when I mean frustration, I mean teeth grinding, head banging frustration. And before that I've had to endure a mad adventure that led to all sorts of shocks and revelations, so I'm giving you this last chance to back off because I don't want to hurt you. So if I let you go will you just let up?"

He felt the man nod and Ianto pushed the man away. The man backed off rubbing his neck and took another look at Ianto. For a few moments Ianto allowed himself the hope this was all over when the man launched himself at Ianto. He fell back to the cheers and whoops from the audience.

"One hundred credits and two of my concubines on 'Gredo'."

"Three hundred credits and my flyer on 'Gredo'."

"Bastards," Ianto shouted at the group who were betting more and more extravagant sums.

He braced himself as the man barrelled his way.

"I really don't want to hurt you. So this is your last chance," Ianto shouted as he backed away.

"One thousand coins, all the concubines in this room if Gredo can lay Lord Ianto out," Katha called out.

The man paused and pulled himself into his full height. He drained the full glass that was placed in his hands, and with deliberate slowness wiped his hands over his mouth. He then tossed away the glass behind him and threw himself at Ianto.

Ianto, standing his ground, prepared himself. In what seemed an instant Gredo lay on the floor, howling, cupping his testicles, and a sporting a broken nose.

"How?" said one of the nobles as they now recovered, the voices from the stunned disbelief from seeing their champion felled in what seemed like three moves.

Ianto found a full glass of wine in his hands; he drained it in three gulps and noted the dumbfounded look on their faces. "Two words," Ianto stated." "Krav Maga. A few years ago I was mugged as I left my shop. I ended up in hospital for four days. I determined I would never let that happen to me again."

"You are a master of this?" One of those gathered looked between Ianto and the fallen man, his voice laced with incredulity.

"Black belt, working my way up to three stripes," Ianto said proudly

"The master defeats the brute."

Ianto looked in the direction of the sage. "Do you know that actually made sense?"

"Ignore him; he's had far too much to drink," Katha pointed out as the sage now fell to the ground in a heap.

Ianto straightened his clothes and watched Gredo being dragged away. From what he could tell he appeared to have passed out.

He bent down and picked up one of the scattered cards. He looked at it and noticed a pattern around the edge for the first time. He took a moment to examine the edge in more detail and then picked up a second card. He found his face forming a huge grin.

"Now will someone explain the rules of this game to me once more because I feel the urge to lose more money coming on?"

He pulled up a cushion as the nobles scrambled to seat themselves.

Sean was at a loss at what to do as Herald burst into tears.

"I'm sorry I know two boys kissing some people have a hard time," Sean said trying to recover the situation.

"No that's not it. I think it's wonderful that you have someone. It's just…" Herald tried to clear his tears. "It's just tomorrow I have to marry someone I've never met. She's much older by years and I know there will be…will be intimacies. When the Duke's physician explained how… I was shocked. It seems so awkward. I mean how does one? How does it all fit together? I mean it's just seems…" Herald indicated, inter-meshing his fingers together. "But then I got to thinking it wouldn't be so bad and if it was someone I liked."

"The right person," Sean agreed.

Herald shuffled next to Sean his face still tear streaked and took his hand. "We are best pals aren't we? And best pals tell each other secrets." Sean nodded. "I need you to promise me you won't tell a single soul what I am about to tell you." Sean nodded wondering what an earth Herald was going to him.

"I've lived here in these rooms my whole life. Sometimes I get this feeling in my chest, a sort of restless feeling where I long see beyond the walls of my oasis. When it gets really bad I wait until everyone is asleep then I climb over the wall into the main garden. Its acres and acres and you can wander for hours, there's fountains and lakes, the pagoda and other delights." He dropped his voice and it became heavy with remembrance. "Once I am over the wall I run and run until I come to my favourite place: the gazebo in the rose garden. Being at night it's magical; the air is filled with perfume and all sorts of happy thoughts come to me."

Herald's voice became wistful. "Well, one night I found I was not alone. She was so beautiful, the moonlight made her hair look like spun silver. She was visiting, staying in another wing of the palace. She had escaped from her governess by pretending she was asleep. She had used an overgrown tree and climbed over into the main garden which was very clever. We talked and talked about everything. I told her about Poppet and she told me about her darling. That's who told me about the tricks and I was determined to teach Poppet. She told me how she loves music and art and she plays a most divine instrument, the harp. One of my tutors plays the harp. Each note sounds like the noise an angel would make. And best of all she loves poetry; she even shared some of her work. I shared some of mine. Every night that week we met in the rose garden. We held hands as we watched the stars turn and the moons cross the sky. On the last night we kissed. We kissed and made a vow of love and pledged we would be together. She said she feared she would be betrothed to someone horrid, crass and old. I said I would speak to my father and we would be together." He reached around his neck pulled out a delicate chain." She gave this to me and I gave her my gold bangle. We promised we would wear each other's tokens until we could replace them with bands of love. But before I could say anything my father told me my marriage had been arranged." Herald stood up looking towards the garden. "I don't want to marry someone I've never met who is twice my age. I want to marry my beloved. I don't want to do those things the physician talked about with anyone but my sweet flower. But if I don't the terrible war will continue, and more people will die." He burst into deep sobs.

Sean was at a loss at what to say. He was at odds with himself. Part of him knew how wrong it was to force someone to marry against their will. Yet so much was riding on this one event. Two kingdoms would stop fighting. Herald was inconsolable. Sean tried to put himself in his shoes. He struggled with trying to come up with some way to comfort the youth and was about to put his arm around him when a panel slid open in the wall opposite.

"Master," K9 announced himself.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack found himself in the giant cavernous kitchen. It was clear from the activity the banquet had now come to an end. Tables overflowed with huge piles of stacked dishes slowly being washed by a seeming army of kitchen attendants.

He belched and felt burning in the back his throat as he tried to keep down the most recent of the Duke's offerings. The taste sampling had gone from bad to worse. Jack felt he had eaten a sample of every nauseating vile, repugnant, and revolting substance that could be impaled on a stick or spread on a cracker.

He felt something other than his stomach turn over. Ianto was having an interesting evening; far more enjoyable than he was from the sensations filling his mind. Jack sent back a request to join in. He smiled as Ianto came to his senses.

The Duke misinterpreted Jack's look.

"I know you are as excited in anticipation of what delights I am going to produce next. I have something wonderful to share. I have been loath to cook up a whole one just for me. But your being here has inspired me, so I have thrown all caution to the wind and asked my chef to call on every one of his wonderful abilities and prepare Gog-Mol."

Jack gulped as several servants appeared, carrying a huge oval platter that filled the entire one third of the table.

"You are right to look awed. It's terrifically extravagant, a whole one just for us, then I thought about this stupendous moment in our history. So I have commanded my personal chef Manfred to call on every one of his many talents and produce this once in a lifetime dish." The Duke rubbed his hands together with glee. "To keep us going I've had some slices of Venusian slugs prepared." A servant placed a plate of grey slithers in front of Jack.

"Oh goody," Jack said as he felt his stomach churn.

"I believe I win again." Ianto heard a groan from around the table as he placed his final choice on the pile of cards. He reached out and pulled large pile of gold triangular chips, a small vial and slips of pledges towards himself.

The others around the table threw down their cards in disgust.

"Does your 'Krav Maga' give you greater mental powers?" Katha said as the dealer gathered the cards to shuffle them.

Ianto tried to keep his poker face on as he put his hand gently on Katha's arm. "No, you explained the rules so well I found my understanding became as clear as crystal," he said in complete sincerity, placing his hand over his heart.

Katha narrowed his eyes at Ianto.

"Well as long as you give us a chance to win back some of our losses," one of the nobles said, "because my father is going to kill me when he finds out what I've lost." The heads round the table nodded their agreement.

"Of course," Ianto told them as he picked up his new hand.

"Where did you come from?" Sean asked in astonishment as K9 appeared.

"I was following your orders to return to the TADRIS when I was appropriated. I felt it expedient to disengage my power systems. When I turned myself back on I found I had been deposited in a large room and placed on display with a large number of artefacts." Sean bent down and began to double-check he was not damaged. "I am undamaged. They conveyed me with great care," K9 told him.

"Herald, this is my dog K9."

"A mechanical dog," Herald said in wonder.

"When we first got here two of your people mistakenly thought K9 was a gift. I sent him back to our vessel to keep him safe."

"He is a most strange thing," Herald said as Poppet began to sniff around K9.

"How did you get here?" Sean asked.

"I ascertained it was impossible to escape via the main entrance. I scanned the room and found a secondary set of exits and entrances leading to an alternate means of transversing the building."

"Secondary set of exits and entrances?" Sean repeated.

"They were carefully disguised. The room I was in contained two such entrances. These led to passages. The passages appear to be an integral part of the structure. They are a secondary mode of moving through the palace."

"You mean hidden passages with secret openings?" Sean suggested.

"Affirmative, Master."

"And how far do these passages run?" Herald asked.

"They are to be found on every level connecting every part of the building. Every room appears to have at least one entrance. It is how I came to be here." K9 replied then dropped his head. "I had to circumvent your order, Master. I determined that that there would be a high probability that I would be re-appropriated so I felt it wise to locate you."

Sean patted K9 on the head. "You did the right thing. I can't imagine being an exploring officer without his companion." K9 waggled his tail and lifted his head.

"And these passages lead throughout the palace?" Herald double-checked.

"Affirmative. Every part is linked."

"Can you lead me to the west wing?" Herald asked seriously.

"Affirmative."

"Sean, my beloved is in the west wing. If we go there I can be with her. We can then run away together."

"How do you know she is there?" Sean asked.

"I just know." Herald began to make preparations to leave and began to search for something to carry Poppet in.

"But what about tomorrow?"

"I've only ever been able to choose one thing in my whole life." Herald picked up Poppet. "And you being here this evening has given me courage. That if you can go into the world and be with the one you love then so can I." Herald placed Poppet into a soft bag which he fastened across the top.

Sean looked uncertain. He and Chas were not in love. They fancied each and they had done a lot of kissing to be sure and that had led to… some very interesting experiences. Loved being in each other's company, Chas was someone he could share anything with and had but love, like romantic love…."I'm not sure," Sean said feeling very uncomfortable at the turn of events.

"I'm not a brave person like my brother. I know I'm not clever. But I'm not stupid. I've overheard what people really think about me. They think I'm empty-headed. They are marrying me off because that's all I'm good for. That way I can longer be an embarrassment. But there is one thing I know for certain is how I feel about my sweet rose."

Sean groaned. "What about when everyone finds out? All hell is going to break out."

"I will face that if I have to. But if I don't do this I know I will live my whole life knowing I lost my one and only chance of true happiness." Herald looked at Sean pleading with his eyes.

"What about the Treaty? The end of the war?" Sean raised up his hands.

"I know I must seem a stupid selfish person and that I am trying to only ensure my own happiness. But I know that my beloved will suffer the same fate as me, forced to marry someone she detests. We made a solemn vow to each other and I promised I would find a way for us to be together. Once we are united I know we can find a way to sort things out."

Sean nodded.

"Follow me," K9 said turned and headed towards the panel.

Jack took a deep sip of water from the glass he was holding. He pledged he was never going to disregard the pure tastelessness of water ever again. There was a clang behind him and he turned. He watched in horror to as two chefs appeared, struggling to carry a huge steaming container between them and his stomach lurched.

Jack noted that container was followed by a whole procession of the kitchen staff, who were excitedly chattering away.

The Duke turned to Jack. "Don't mind them; it's been twenty five years since this dish was produced so everyone wants to be part of this historic moment."

Heaving the container onto the table the chefs now tipped it slowly until a green carcass slid onto the oval platter. Stringy strands of sticky tendrils seemed to follow and covered the entire mess.

"Magnificent," the Duke declared as the chef cut into the main bulk and a heady stench of musky rotting meat roiled around them.

Jack caught a whiff and he heaved.

"Perfect," the Duke smacked his lips.

"I can't," Jack said weakly not able to tear his eyes away as steam rose from the repellent dish. It seemed to be alive. He tilted closer and saw worm-like creatures swarming over the body.

The Duke roared his approval. "Manfred, this will go down in the record books as your most divine culinary achievement. Kudos to getting the temperature just right for the 'Mol' to hatch into their larval form." The chef bowed deeply.

Jack took a step back and placed his hand over his mouth.

"What?" the Duke saw his companion pale.

"I can't eat this," Jack shook his head moving backwards gulping.

"Why, it looks perfect," the Duke said.

"It's too much. I can't… I… it's revolting. It's covered in worms, grey, and green. I can't do it," Jack said in a whimper.

The Duke narrowed his eyes; this man had been his equal all evening. He looked between the dish then back at Lord Harkness. Maybe this being had senses that could detect something was wrong. He clapped his hands and ordered one of the small animals that infested the kitchen and lived off the scraps to be brought to them.

A short time later a barrel-like creature whose coat had taken on the qualities of an old mop was brought before them, Obviously hungry and a clearly not fussy it tore into the offerings thrown towards it.

It was half way through when it began to howl then keeled over. There was a collective gasp.

"There hasn't been an assassination attempt by Gog-Mol for three hundred years," one of the servants spoke up.

Jack was astonished his delicate stomach and sense of complete revulsion had saved the Duke's life. He was right; it was too disgusting to eat.

"Guards! Guards!" the Duke thundered as servants scurried away in different directions. In what seemed a moment the royal guards stormed up to the Duke.

"Sire," the Guard bowed before him.

"Sire I bring terrible news," the Guard was now joined by several more who appeared to be fumbling to do up loosened armour.

"Assassination! Someone has tried to kill me," the Duke bellowed and pointed to himself. "Me in my own home. Someone who knew of my fondness of this dish. Who knew Lord Harkness was here and our evening would lead to my proposing this delightful temptation..."

Guards looked between each other, confused. The Duke caught their looks and stopped his tirade midsentence.

"No Sire. You son Herald is missing."

"Outrage!" The Duke pushed open the double doors that led to the banquet room. The crashed open causing the chandeliers to shake.

"Seal the exits. Rouse the barracks, this is war." His words added to the chaos as the palace responded like an overturned ant hill. "This is a barbarous act and I know who is responsible. I invited them into my home. I offered my own son to appease their demands. It was nothing but a ruse to lull us all into a false sense of security so they could unleash their vengeance upon us!"

The double doors flew open and two dozen young men armed with swords drawn came in. As they entered they added to the cacophony as they now began to express their own desire for revenge. Jack recognised the Duke's eldest son and figured this was the group Ianto was with. To Jack's relief Ianto followed them in and came to join him. Jack felt Ianto's panic as they realised that Sean may have been caught up in what had happened to Herald.

"Bring them to me," the Duke demanded and the young man began to bay a war cry. Before they could move the double doors crashed open again.

A hoard of soldiers led by a tall thin woman launched themselves forward weapons drawn.

"You!" she screamed and pointed at the Duke.

"You have brought us here, under your protection. You gave me your personal assurance we would be safe now I see it was all a trick. A hoax to lull us here under false pretences so you could unleash your revenge."

"How dare you." The Duke pulled himself into full height and stomped over to her and puffed out his chest. "You come here into my home and try and make an attempt on my life and now my son is missing! How you dare accuse me."

"To end this war I was prepared to degrade myself by taking on your idiot son as my husband. But I find it was all a ruse to bring us here and steal my daughter, my most precious flower."

Jack felt Ianto's distress, not sure how if it was possible to intervene as each group started to move forward to fight. Sean uppermost in their mind, Ianto grabbed Jack's hand.

"My Son!"

"My Daughter!"

"You have stolen my son."

"My daughter you oaf, stolen from her very bed."

"Son."

"Daughter." The Duchess eyeballed the Duke.

He was about to speak when he saw Herald, his arm around a rather thin young woman, make their way towards them followed by some sort of mechanical creature and another boy. As they moved forward both groups moved aside to create a path for them.

"Get your hands of my daughter," the Duchess commanded then saw that Flower was holding the young man's hand.

"Herald!" the Duke burst out

"I gather this is your son," the Duchess stated as the Duke nodded.

"Did you steal my daughter?"

"No mother," the young girl said with a lisp and what sounded like a little girls voice, "I stole myself."

"You stole yourself," the Duchess spluttered.

"Father. I am in love with Princess Flower and she loves me." The young woman looked up at Herald in adoration.

"She is not a princess you idiot," the Duchess retorted.

Herald lifted his chin. "She is to me," he stated loudly. "We were going to run away but then we thought we would be brave and come here and face you all. So we come before you to declare our love and state that we wish to marry."

"Each other," Flower quickly added.

"You can't just decide to marry for yourselves. It's for families to decide who marries who. Can you imagine what would happen if everyone could marry whoever they liked?" The Lord Chamberlain suddenly spoke out.

Flower looked crushed and Herald took her gently into his arms, cradling her. The Duchess turned on the Lord Chamberlain and glared at him so fiercely he took several steps backwards.

Flower held onto Herald as if they were about to be torn apart. "I declare I love him with all my heart and we want to marry." She gazed up at Herald longingly.

"And I love her, she is my most precious rose," Herald said keeping his gaze on Flower then taking her hand he kissed it.

"How did you even meet?" the Duchess asked.

"When we came to visit I escaped into the garden and he was there. It was in the rose garden. The air was filled with the divine scent caused by the beauty of the roses. His skin was silver under the moonlight. We talked and talked and I told him about 'Darling' and all his special tricks. I shared my 'Ode to Darling' with him and the next night Herald shared a poem he had written for me that very day. We met every night under the stars. We held hands and on the last night we kissed and pledged ourselves to each other."

Herald now spoke. "It was the most magical and wonderful week of my life. I made a promise and vowed I would find a way. I am asking you now father please let us find a way."

The Duke let out an exaggerated sigh and looked at the pair of them. He scratched his head let out another sigh. He looked across to see the Duchess was equally perturbed.

"Love and marriage are not two words that go together," Katha suddenly stated and saw the other young nobles nod and begin to speak amongst themselves.

"Why not?" Ianto spoke up.

"Because marriage is a political institution, not something one writes poetry about. One endures marriage for the next generation, there's no pleasure in it. An agreement was made. To stop this war there is to be a marriage between the Duchess and my brother. It should go ahead. All other considerations aside my brother has never had to suffer war, he should make this sacrifice for all our sakes as others have done on the battlefield," Katha replied looking at disdain at his brother.

Before the Duchess could erupt at the statement that Herald was being scarified to her Ianto pulled Katha roughly aside. The Duke gasped and several of the young nobles who kept Katha's company that night followed the pair. No one could hear the conversation but all of the young men seemed to become uneasy shifting from foot to foot as Ianto spoke. Katha crossed his arms and his face darkened with anger as Ianto pointed a finger at him and gave him what appeared to a stern lecture. A few moments later the group broke up. Katha followed sullenly behind Ianto back to the main group.

"I remove my previous objection and now give my support," Katha announced struggling with each word, as he re-joined the drama.

The Duke pursed his lips as he looked at his son and the young lady in his arms then looked at his eldest son as an understanding he had never considered came to him. He coughed to clear his throat.

"New era. New rules," he said under his breath then turned to the Duchess.

"Today is meant to be the end of a ruinous war. Your side has suffered as equally as mine. The reality is neither side can continue. If we both still had the means to carry on neither of us would have come within ten light years of any peace negotiations let along consider joining our families in any capacity. To stop the hostilities the joining of the two houses meant that instead of the two dukedoms there would eventually be one. Your offer to marry is a gracious but do you really want to go through all that again?"

The Duchess looked at Flower and Herald then thought of her own ordeal of being married. It had only been the force of her own personality that had helped her survive. In truth she was startled at Flower's declaration. Somehow it would appear she had met her complete equal in tastes, something the Duchess had thought to be impossible. Yet here he was declaring his undying love.

"New Era, new rules. New beginning. Prince Herald and Princess Flower are unknowns untainted by the sins of both sides," the Duke pointed out taking on Herald's title and applying it to both young people. "Instead of two dukedoms we declare we are now a principality."

The Duchess smiled as she warmed to the idea and she began to speak. " You are right we are weary of war. Both sides have suffered. Everyone and wants this to end. As you say new era, new rules, why not new names. The past behind us as we move forward. Their honeymoon could be a grand tour of both kingdoms. Show them off as symbols of the future blessings of prosperity." The Duchess looked across and saw Flower, her face filled with hope. In her heart she knew she could not deny her daughter her one and only wish. "Let the bells ring out the happy news," she declared and she saw Flower and Herald faces light up with relief followed by joy as they threw their arms around each other.

Herald leaned down and their lips touched. As they kissed the room erupted in cheers.

Jack let out a sigh as he put arm around Sean and took Ianto's hand. "K9, tell me this is what we were here to achieve?"

K9 waggled his ears. "Timeline healed. The marriage of Princess Flower and Prince Herald will prove to be a most fortuitous event that will be celebrated by both dukedoms. The marriage will be wildly popular. It will become a symbol of renewal that will permeate every level of this society creating a renaissance of culture. Being untouched by the war themselves they come to represent the innocence that had been lost and then renewed in them. After fifty solar cycles the people of the principality will wonder how they could have ever fought a war against each other. Herald and Flower standing before everyone and declaring their devotion will become one of the legends form this time. 'Courage and love heals all' will be chosen as the royal motto."

"Wow," Jack said. "That is one serious happy ending."

"Love won out after all," Ianto said as he looked at Jack fondly. Sean moved across the room to say his goodbyes. The couple had moved to an alcove. They watched as two servants now delivered Darling and Poppet and a major reunion began to unfold. It would appear Poppet was as overjoyed to be reunited with Sean as Herald and a major licking incident ensued. The room filled with their laugher, giggles and hugs.

"They will remain devoted to each other throughout their lives. From this day forward they will not spend a single day apart and will be known for their enduring love for each other," K9 stated.

"Can we go home now? I feel sick and I need some serious antacids," Jack said weakly as Sean re-joined them

"Home," Sean commanded and K9 led their exit.

"We can't leave," Ianto stated as the stood around the console.

"What?" Jack demanded as he sipped a soothing glass of something the TARDIS had produced to ease his unsettled digestive system.

"Matter of honour," Ianto replied.

"Matter of honour!" Jack repeated bewildered and took another sip.

"They have this serious honour code. Like knights of the round table, type of honour."

"And that means we can't leave?" Jack looked sceptical.

"They have this thing about always honouring any…what's the right way to put this…especially around gambling….paying what they owe." Ianto kept his face serious.

"Are you trying to tell me that we owe them something" Jack went even paler. "You didn't lose TARDIS did you?"

"We were playing this game. At first I could make neither head nor tail of it, it was that confusing. It was a series of picture cards, bit like a Tarot deck. Well, after my fight…"

"There was a fight? Did anyone get hurt?" Sean said, coming over to check his Tad was unharmed.

"Only someone who richly deserved it and I did give him three chances to stop before… anyway," Ianto put his arm around Sean. "After the fight I realised that the pictures on the cards had nothing to do with the game. Around the edges were bands all representing numbers. The game was about the numbers. . Once I realised this, well I won."

"Won."

"A lot."

"What sort of a lot?" Jack asked.

"Six flyers, one hundred and eighty-two concubines, a winter place on the Island of Grol, two pleasure craft, an asteroid, sixty-four fighting griftors - not sure what they are, fourteen mercenaries, nine estates, a ruby mine, eighty-four thousand credits, and half the Duke's kingdom."

"What!"

"And this." He held up the vial.

Jack started to laugh. "I think I begin to understand Katha's change of heart."

"I told the lot of them I would invalidate all losses if they gave their unwavering support to the marriage and the upcoming peace. If they didn't I would be back to collect."

"And the vial?"

"This is the juice of the Sharpina plant. It's extremely valuable and rare. Apparently once administered the person or persons suddenly have an overwhelming urge to confess every possible wrong-doing they have ever committed. Secondly they are filled with feelings of remorse and the desire to put things right." Ianto held it out between his thumb and forefinger.

Ianto saw a twisted grin grow on Jack's face.

"It wears off of course but not for about a month," Ianto added

"I figure there's enough for about four," Jack said as he examined the smoky red contents.

"That what I thought," Ianto agreed smiling.

"Sean," Jack commanded. "Take us home."

Jack contemplated the large plate of dounts placed in front of his nose. He lent out and ran his finger over the plate and licked his finger.

Owen bounded into the room and snatched the place away.

"Oh sorry, I keep forgetting," Tosh said as Jack winked at her.

"If you are hungry eat this." Owen placed a banana on Jack's desk.

Jack raised his eyebrows and reached forward.

"And when you do, please can we be spared the porn?"

"It's not my fault, bananas are just begging for it," Jack said holding it a suggestive manner.

"Don't give me that look Harkness."

Jack stood up and walked to his office door and leaned out. "Gwen, has anyone else got any complaints about the way I eat bananas?"

"Jack, we are not having this conversation. If we do I am going start on about the way you eat hotdogs," Gwen retorted.

"You know I should make a list of all the foods Jack's abused," Tosh interjected.

"Starting with ringed donuts," Owen stepped down to the main Hub level.

"And squid rings," Tosh added.

"Well any food in a ring," Gwen turned and crossed her arms.

"One time guys, one time, five years ago…" Jack was interrupted as his mobile sounded and he flipped it open.

"Inspector Swanson, what do I owe this pleasure to? " A huge smile started to spread across his face.

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?" Jack moved back towards his office.

"I turned up at the station early this morning to find four young men who insisted they be taken into custody. They then literally fell over each to talk, fighting each other to be first, and each one over-talking the last as they tried to confess. Not only that they are demanding we let them plead guilty. It's taken hours and they've still not finished talking. So I am asking what did you do?"

"Inspector Swanson what are you suggesting?"

"The last time we talked you said the clock was ticking. It was only a matter of time before you found them."

"Did I give that impression?" Jack sat back in his chair.

"Did you drug them?"

He sat up. "Did you detect anything," he asked cautiously

"Not that we can find."

"So no," Jack replied.

"Jack, I want you to promise that you never heard me say this."

"Say what?" Jack asked carefully.

"Just promise."

"What am I promising too?"

"You are promising that you will never repeat what I am about to say to another living soul. If this conversation comes to my notice I will deny this conversation ever took place. I want you to promise that after I have stopped speaking we will pretend the words were never spoken."

"Okay."

"I need to hear the words, Jack."

"I promise on my honour."

He heard Inspector Swanson take a breath then pause. "Thank you. Whatever you did. You have made a lot of us very happy. They have fessed up to a whole raft of crimes, not just the arson at the warehouse but the other assaults, muggings burglaries, drugs, car thefts, shop lifting, it goes back years and years, right little gang of villains. Their days of terrorising the local estate are over."

"From this I understand all charges for the arson and car theft will be dropped against Sean and Chas."

Swanson became serious. "Jack you should know Sean and Chas are lucky to be alive, the gang have admitted they were looking to really hurt them."

"That much Ianto and I figured," Jack said quietly thinking about how terrified both boys were.

"So thank you Jack. Whatever you did. Thank you. Now I need you assure me that after tomorrow we won't see Sean or Chas down here again."

"He's willing to face up to the fraud. Chas is also going to admit to his part. After that you won't see them again," Jack said.

"Good. They are both good kids. I hope what was ever going for Sean in particular is now resolved."

"It has."

"Jack, see you then and remember this conversation never happened."

Jack snapped his phone shut, stood and walked to the door.

"Good news?" Alex said as he placed a file Jack's desk.

"Yes, tell the troops, Operation Troll hit pay dirt."

"I will and congratulations."

Jack looked up. "Yes another successful Torchwood Operation."

Alex looked serious 'I think we should discuss the on-going ban on ringed food."

"It was one time," Jack said in exasperation.


	14. Epilogue

Ianto handed a plate of chicken sandwiches to Jack who was sitting on the sofa, his feet raised.

Taking the plate Jack pursed his lips as he carefully checked the contents of the sandwich.

"Don't give me that look it's got everything you requested. Including the mayonnaise you insisted on," Ianto admonished in a long suffering voice.

"This is your fault," Jack moaned as Ianto now placed the mug of tea on the small table next to Jack.

"How can this be my fault?" Ianto spluttered as he placed a cushion under Jack's feet.

"You should have had stronger will power," Jack said, taking a bite of sandwich.

"Stronger will power! My fault! This was all your fault for bending over wearing those bloody cargo pants. They were hanging off your hips showing a slice of muffin and you bloody well know how much that turns me on." Ianto pointed a finger at Jack. "And you knew I was hanging on by a thread, a thread at breaking point, next thing you're bending over…"

"You were unstoppable," Jack said with longing in his voice. "And you were not going to take no for an answer."

Ianto smiled in remembrance. "So why all the moaning now?"

"It's the swollen ankles, and I look and feel huge. There are hippos smaller than me."

Ianto lent down and kissed him chastely on the lips. "I told you Jack; I like you chunky, gives me something to hold onto." Ianto raised his eyebrows up and down. Jack lent forward snatched the cushion from under his feet and threw it at Ianto who caught it.

Placing the cushion back under Jack's feet they heard a scuffling noise and what sounded like conspiratorial whispers coming from the kitchen.

Startled, Chas and Sean looked up as Ianto entered the kitchen. From the window he could tell from the angle that the TARDIS had moved.

"Sean, you had better have a good explanation. You know full well you are not allowed to use the TARDIS unless Jack and I are with you."

There was a peep. Ianto's gaze followed the sound and he saw a small blue creature, all teeth, claws, and tail nestling in Sean's blazer.

"We didn't mean it to happen. Chas wanted to see a real dinosaur, because he was doing a school project. It was only meant to be a quick look. When we got there we had a look around and we saw this nest. Before we could shoo it away it was all over us. Then the mother showed up. We put the baby back but she kept chasing it away. It cried and cried but nothing we did worked, we couldn't just leave it there to die. So we thought…"

"You thought," Ianto repeated pursing his lips.

"Can I keep him Tad? It will be no trouble. Chas has offered to help." Sean looked at Chas who was nodding.

"Will he," Ianto muttered glancing at Chas who took a step back.

"I promise you won't know it's here."

"You can't keep a dinosaur. Have you any idea how big it might grow?"

"I know Tad, but just till its big enough to look after itself? It's just so little and it's defenceless there were some really big dinosaurs and without its mother it's going to get slaughtered."

Ianto looked at the claws and teeth, from what he could see it looked well able to defend itself. "How do know what it eats?"

"Well, Snappy likes Smarties," Chas spoke up.

"Seriously you've named it Snappy and it likes Smarties." Ianto put his hands on his hips. "And just how would you know that?"

"Well I tripped and I had a packet which fell out of my pocket. Before we could stop it ate every one." Chas explained.

"Oh great just what we need...another chocolate obsessed dinosaur," Ianto snarked.

"He is so cute," Sean pleaded. Ianto watched as the thing uncurled and hissed, and then started to wriggle. Ianto looked at it, trying to work out how this creature could ever be considered cute. "Please, Tad please, he won't be any trouble…."

Without warning the small creature began to peep. Each peep raised in cadence along with the wiggling suggested that it was in some sort of distress.

"Peep- peep- peep- peep," the creature erupted showering the floor with a mixture of pre-digested Smarties.

"Great," Ianto burst out as some it hit his shoes and the creature began to hiccup.

"What the hell is going on?" Jack said entering the room. On seeing Chas he quickly crossed his arms.

Ianto pointed in the direction of the creature. The creature was now looking around with interest while it sniffed the air like it was on a search and hunt mission. Sniffing with ever increasing vigour its nose homed towards the kitchen bench area. In what seemed a single movement it launched itself out of Sean's arms and landed on the cooked chicken on the bench and began to tear into it.

"My chicken," Jack called out and he tried to approach. The creature turned, its tail whipped around just missing Jack's nose and hissed showing a mouth filled with sharp teeth.

"Okay keep the chicken," Jack backed off his hands raised.

With a great deal of growling which made it evident that it was very hungry and had found the Snappy equivalent of ambrosia, it devoured every last morsel of meat noisily until nothing was left but a pile of dry bones. It sneezed then launched itself back at Sean who caught it. It let out a massive belch and made itself comfortable in the crook of his arm.

"You have to take it back," Ianto said as the creature began to lick it's claws.

"But Tad he's so little! What if it needs its mother? Snappy is defenceless," Sean pleaded.

Ianto was about to reply that it didn't look defenceless to him when Jack interrupted. "What if he was meant to save it?"

Ianto spun around to stare at Jack. "Are you saying we keep it and feed it an endless supply of roasted chickens?" Ianto snarked.

"All I'm saying is things happen for a reason."

"Jack, the last thing I need right now is a lecture about universal eventualities."

"How do we know it's not a member of a type of dinosaur that ended up as birds for example?"

"So what you're saying it could be some long distant ancestral line of chickens and it's just committed cannibalism!"

"All I'm saying is TARDIS never does anything without a reason," Jack pointed at the creature that was slowly closing its eyes and settling down to sleep. "This thing whatever it is might be important."

"Important. It's a bloody dinosaur how in god's name..."

Jack suddenly gasped and put his hand on his belly.

Jack looked up, grabbed Ianto's hand and pulled him into the lounge. Once there he placed Ianto's hand on the same place. "She moved," Jack said as Ianto stilled. Ianto fully opened the bond they shared. Moments passed then they shared a fluttering. He looked at Jack, his face filled with joy and love. Jack looked up, his eyes filled with tears. "Oh my darling," Ianto said and pulled Jack into a kiss.

At the moment of the quickening TARDIS felt a small nodule nestled deep within her inner space resonate and send out a single harmonious note.

TARDIS sang out to the heavens. The Universal Imperative joined her in song. Her song of joy was wondrous and she found herself enraptured as her true destiny now began to unfold. She proclaimed the miracle for the entire universe to hear, because she knew she was no longer the last, she was the first.


End file.
